Stick it to Stigma: Embrace, Educate, Equalize

1. PO Box 46354 Phoenix AZ 85063 www.azsilc.org Melissa Ann Santora Director of Administration/Youth Initiatives melissa@azsilc.org 602-262-2900

2. Stick It To Stigma with Us! Audra Class of 2014 Mateo Class of 2015 Kevin Class of 2015 Melissa Classic

3. 2017-19 Diverse Ability Incorporated

4. Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF) for Students and Transitioning Young Adults Who Have Disabilities is an innovative, 6-day conference, for students and young adults who have disabilities, as they prepare for and experience transition to adulthood. Designed to foster personal growth through self-discovery, AZYLF provides experiential learning opportunities to assist each individual as they identify and embrace their strengths and gifts, in conjunction with planning for their future. This dynamic environment focuses on leadership development, career exploration, effective advocacy, and empowers through heightened awareness of disability history and culture. Although purposeful and relevant, the true value of AZYLF is not found in a workbook or in the words of an accomplished presenter, it is found in the climate of trust, mutual respect, and absolute acceptance, which allow youth to be themselves, to be heard, and to be changed. Between 2014-2016, AZYLF has graduated 63 youth from across Arizona. AZYLF strives to recruit youth who represent the culture and diversity of Arizona in every way, which enriches the experience and impact for all. AZYLF embraces and employs optimal learning strategies, strength based mentoring, and Person Centered Planning. AZYLF invests in our most precious resource, the youth who will transform our tomorrows.

5. Implemented in 2015, the AZYLF Alumni Association provides opportunities for AZYLF Alumni to become involved in and contribute to the Culture of Disability in Arizona, and beyond. • Alumni serve as Ambassadors for AZYLF. • Alumni serve as a voice for Arizona youth who have disabilities in development of the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL), on committees, councils, task forces, workgroups, boards, and at trainings, conferences and workshops. • Alumni participate in AZYLF outreach, recruitment, and promotional activities. • Alumni develop and implement strategies to enhance the AZYLF mission through outreach, education, fundraising, and participation in planning and executing future AZYLF activities and events.

6. Current AZYLF Alumni Association Goals: • By 6/30/17 AAA will complete two fundraising events. • By 6/30/17 AAA will complete two group service projects. • By 6/30/17 AAA will complete five community outreach events. • By 6/30/17 AAA will complete two community outreach events at schools. • By 6/30/17 AAA will complete five social activities in Maricopa County. • By 6/30/17 AAA will complete 1 social activity in Pima County. • By 12/31/16 AAA will formalize AAA membership package of benefits for Alumni. • By 12/31/16 AAA will implement the Stick it to Sigma Campaign. • By 10/31/16 AAA will coordinate the Arizona Disability Mentoring Day. • By 6/30/17 AAA will demonstrate engagement in the development and implementation • of AZYLF 2017.

8. Stick it to Stigma: Embrace, Educate, Equalize is a grassroots advocacy campaign initiated by Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF) for Students and Transitioning Young Adults Who Have Disabilities. Stick it to Stigma asserts that in order to reduce the prevalence and resulting harm of multiple and complex stigma, people must embrace, educate, and equalize.

9. Stigma Defined: • a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something • a mark of shame or discredit • a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person

10. EMBRACE: Who we are as people; where we came from; where we wish to go; what we believe in; what we choose to advocate for EDUCATE: Share our perspective when helpful; reframe what people don’t understand; be open to dialogue/questions; check our preconceptions at the door; walk our talk EQUALIZE: Integrate all aspects of ourselves; be proud of that which makes us unique without isolating those attributes and feeding into the us vs. them mentality; we must see and be equality, and accept that truth in others

11. Stick it to Stigma Pledge: I, ________________________, agree to openly and actively: Embrace diversity within myself and others. Educate myself and others about the strengths and gifts that are inherent within me and within those I encounter. Equalize myself and others by suspending judgment, demystifying stereotypes, and creating opportunities for acceptance and objectivity in all that I endeavor to be and do. I join the effort to Stick it to Stigma: __________________________ Signature City, State

12. Arizona Youth Engagement Academy is an intensive training experience designed to build capacity in youth who have disabilities to assume leadership roles and provide peer to peer mentoring, training, and support. • Some of the curriculum includes: • Disability History and Culture; Diversity and Cultural Competence • Self-Discovery: Creating and Sharing your Story • Self-Determination, Self-Advocacy, Systems Change • Goal setting, personal accountability, community engagement • Person Centered Planning and Processes • Personal finance, budgeting, and decision making • Effective Communication; Professionalism; Presentation Skills

13. AZSILC took the initiative to build capacity in youth who have disabilities because nobody else in Arizona was doing so. In both the current and previous State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) cycles, we have been doing just that. • AZYLF, AAA, and AZYEA have all been written into the SPIL. • So has ensuring that these 3 Youth Initiatives continue and grow by launching and spinning them off into a new Nonprofit Organization.

14. Diverse Ability Incorporated The purpose of Diverse Ability Incorporated is to create and promote access, equality, inclusion, and brave spaces for embracement of diversity, through heightened knowledge, enhanced skills, and experiential learning, growth, and personal development. Diverse Ability Incorporated will assume responsibility for continued implementation of three programs: Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF) for Students and Transitioning Young Adults Who Have Disabilities; AZYLF Alumni Association; and Arizona Youth Engagement Academy; which exist to educate and mentor youth who have disabilities as they transition to adulthood.

15. Diverse Ability Incorporated is intended to provide and expand services to assist and support the intersectionality of diversity in people, with a focus on youth empowerment, self-determination, human and civil rights, social justice, personal leadership, planning, responsibility, and individual and collective advocacy and engagement.

16. What’s Happening What’s Possible

17. 2017 Youth Initiatives Goal Goal Statement: Objective: Objective: Objective: Goal: a broad statement about a long-term desired outcome. Objective: a measurable result that will be achieved in a specific timeframe to help accomplish a desired goal.

18. PO Box 46354 Phoenix AZ 85063 Melissa Ann Santora Director of Administration/Youth Initiatives melissa@azsilc.org 602-262-2900 www.azsilc.org www.azylf.org www.facebook.com/AZSILC/ www.facebook.com/AZYLF/