ABLE SC August Youth Newsletter

August Youth Newsletter 

Able SC AmeriCorps Program 

beginning this fall! 

Able SC has started an AmeriCorps program, and we are recruiting new members to serve! Members serve the organization, build skills, and impact their community. Part of our program is helping young adults become independent and self-advocates. This includes having some of our AmeriCorps Members help with giving peer support and helping with our Equip and YLF programs. Another part includes meeting with other young adults to work on skills one-on-one. 

Members serve a set number of hours per year and receive a stipend, education award, loan forbearance, experience, and other small benefits for serving at Able SC. If you want to know more about what it means to be an AmeriCorps Member, visit the AmeriCorps website. 

If you are a young adult, 17 years or older, looking to gain experience before returning to school or choosing a career, serving as an AmeriCorps member could be a great next step!  

The job descriptions will be posted on the Able SC website soon! Please email fhamrick@able-sc.org for more information. 

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Able SC Summer Series was a Success! 

This past June, 42 young adults with disabilities were able to get together in person for the 2022 Equip Summer Series for the first time in two years! The event was held simultaneously in Columbia at Irmo High School and Greenville at Project Search Bon Secours. Here, our youth participants were able to come together safely to practice and support each other in learning the skills they need to speak up for themselves, build disability pride, develop employment skills, and become future leaders in their communities.   

The in-person programming allowed the Equip Summer Series participants to engage fully and make meaningful connections with their peers and the Equip Leaders. This event was a powerful and fun-filled learning experience developed by and for youth with disabilities. 

Finally, while we are certainly looking forward to the 2023 event, you don't have to wait to get connected with Equip! We have programs like our Group Hangouts, One-on-One Peer Mentoring, Social Skills Groups, and more that you can get involved with right now. If you're interested in learning more, please contact Michael Hanna, the Equip Coordinator, at mhanna@able-sc.org.  

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Youth Leadership Forum 2022 

The 2022 South Carolina Youth Leadership Forum was held from 7/10-7/13 at Presbyterian College. After two years of virtual YLF events, the 2022 event returned to an in-person format and was a huge success! Twenty-five delegates and peer staff spent their time learning about disability history and rights, working on leadership and advocacy skills, and building community with new friends from across the entire state. This group of YLF alumni is now an active part of a community that is here to support them and help them reach their goals. Dates and location for the 2023 YLF event have not yet been decided; please check our Facebook page for any news or updates about the application process for the 2023 event. We want to see many familiar faces returning to the event as peer staff to pass on their knowledge and experience to new delegates. See you in 2023!

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