Self-Advocacy and Empowerment

Supporting self-advocacy is such an incredibly important part of the work done at ProAct. Red Wing participants have been participating in an online course about self-advocacy presented by The Arc Minnesota. Through this course, participants were given an opportunity to learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act and how people with disabilities should have the confidence to feel empowered and to be their own greatest advocate.

ProAct staff members helped set up internet access and provided support with questions and completing the workbook activities that came with the class. One staff member, Lori Clemens, said she appreciated how role play scenarios were used to teach about how you can advocate for yourself.

Individuals who participated spoke about what they liked about the class and how they felt "empowered" and enjoyed how they "learned how to be more independent and successful."

This class is a wonderful example of how everyone with disabilities should be empowered and be able to understand that they see, hear, and feel just like everyone else.

The Arc Minnesota is preparing a second class and intends to have a deeper discussion about values and confidence.

Love and Fun All Around!

The month of love came with a wide variety of fun activities across the ProAct sites.

In Red Wing, the gym received plenty of use with lots of fun activities that had many participants exclaiming how much fun they had. In addition, craft classes allowed participants to become works of art themselves with beautiful face paint.

In Shakopee, Valentine's Day provided exciting opportunities with heart themed crafts and an auction for tasty treats. Participants also got to shake loose and have a blast during a dance party!

In Eagan, a trip to Sustainable Safari saw participants full of smiles while getting to visit, pet, and feed many different animals. Also, red was the color of the month as participants showed their support for Heart Health Awareness Month and learned interesting facts about their hearts.

Finally, Hudson participants had a fun time showing off their skills in the bowling alley at Hudson Bowling Center. There were many other exciting activities like a Super Bowl party and another trip to Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America!

Check out more photos below!