Hammer's Ralph in the Schools
InCommons Collaboration Challenge
Hammer's Ralph in the Schools
For more than 85 years, Hammer has provided people with disabilities the opportunity to live life to its fullest. A vital aspect of a full life for those we serve is community-inclusion. However, despite how far we have come, people with disabilities are still discriminated against and maligned by portions of the general population. Stereotypes remain to stigmatize children and adults living with a disability and words such as “retard” are still used in a derogatory and degrading manor. Now, with Wayzata Public Schools, Hammer is launching Ralph in the Schools with a new curriculum “Unexpected Friendships: Finding the Lands of Courage and Kindness.” The curriculum includes:
Reading stories and answering questions about individual differences
Painting “Ralph” statues - our tangible representation of Ralph Rosenvold, a man with Down Syndrome who lived at Hammer for 65 years
Playing a life-sized board game that takes the children to the lands of Courage and Kindness
Meeting a Hammer self advocate, Stacey, who shares what it is like to live with a disability.
The goal of the Ralph in the Schools Program is to introduce students to the tools needed to make friends with people of all abilities. The curriculum is designed to empower students to feel comfortable and confident when they interact with others. Building self confidence and self advocacy helps students speak up for their personal rights and rights of others, in turn, addressing bullying, name-calling and discrimination.
Contributor
Ellen Timmerman-Borer2010-10-29 17:20
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About You
About You
First Name
Ellen
Last Name
Timmerman-Borer
Country
United States, MN, Hennepin County
About Your Organization
Organization
Hammer Residences, Inc.
Organization Website
Organization Phone
952-473-1261
Organization Address
1909 E. Wayzata Blvd
Organization Country
United States, MN, Hennepin County
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Your Story
Collaboration Title
Hammer's Ralph in the Schools
Country your work focuses on
United States, MN, Hennepin County
Describe your locally-based collaboration and the problem it sought to address
For more than 85 years, Hammer has provided people with disabilities the opportunity to live life to its fullest. A vital aspect of a full life for those we serve is community-inclusion. However, despite how far we have come, people with disabilities are still discriminated against and maligned by portions of the general population. Stereotypes remain to stigmatize children and adults living with a disability and words such as “retard” are still used in a derogatory and degrading manor. Now, with Wayzata Public Schools, Hammer is launching Ralph in the Schools with a new curriculum “Unexpected Friendships: Finding the Lands of Courage and Kindness.” The curriculum includes:
Reading stories and answering questions about individual differences
Painting “Ralph” statues - our tangible representation of Ralph Rosenvold, a man with Down Syndrome who lived at Hammer for 65 years
Playing a life-sized board game that takes the children to the lands of Courage and Kindness
Meeting a Hammer self advocate, Stacey, who shares what it is like to live with a disability.
The goal of the Ralph in the Schools Program is to introduce students to the tools needed to make friends with people of all abilities. The curriculum is designed to empower students to feel comfortable and confident when they interact with others. Building self confidence and self advocacy helps students speak up for their personal rights and rights of others, in turn, addressing bullying, name-calling and discrimination.
Tell us about the community in which this collaboration took place
Mirroring Minnesota, this community is ethnically homogenous and will benefit from our curriculum focusing on diversity and recognizing differences as an asset. We are collaborating with the Wayzata Public Schools, located in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, during the current school year.Plymouth Creek Elementary teachers will engage approximately 120 first graders in our new curriculum.
Issue Selector
n/a
Partnership
Who was involved in co-creating or implementing your collaboration (other organizations, leaders, community members, etc.)?
Hammer’s Associate Director of Communication and a Hammer Board Member/retired school teacher started this collaboration by bringing together experts including;J.J.Hill Reference Library Staff, U of M Reference Library Staff,public school administrators, elementary school teachers and Hammer’s Directors of Training.This collaborative group created a relevant,practical and engaging curriculum.
To what extent does your collaboration involve partnerships that are outside or cross traditional organizational or sector boundaries?
We cross sector boundaries by engaging our organization, a nonprofit, with a public school district. Often, students with disabilities find themselves segregated from the classroom resulting in fewer opportunities for all students to make friends with those different than them. Ralph in the Schools helps to cross these traditional boundaries making “Unexpected Friendships”.
Innovation
What makes your locally-based collaboration innovative and unique?
The uniqueness of Hammer’s logo, “Ralph,” brought to life in a tangible form, is a fresh and innovative tool to bring awareness of disabilities to all students. Children have been painting table top “Ralph” statues at community events for more than 5 years. Now, we are broadening our reach by giving a “Ralph” to each student providing a physical representation of the lessons they have learned. The statue is a continuing conversation piece about making friends and valuing differences for students to share with their family and friends.
Another unique aspect of this collaboration is having students play our life sized game in teams. They experience peer-to-peer conversations that will break down barriers for students who might otherwise be afraid to speak freely about individual differences.
This collaboration is innovative because students are engaged in an interactive curriculum over time. Activities occur throughout the school year resulting in a more consistent lesson for students rather than a one-time message.
Did you take risks in establishing this collaboration? Explain
In this economy,allocating our most valuable human resources to this project has been a risk. While other nonprofits are narrowing their scope of work due to cuts we are taking a risk with this important collaboration.
Additionally, Stacey,co-facilitator and self advocate, takes risks when telling her story. She talks openly about her vulnerabilities and shows courage while sharing her humanity.
How did this collaboration differ from the normal way of doing your work?
Hammer’s primary work takes place in 35 homes and 5 apartment programs where staff members get to know each individual so that we can offer them a home for a lifetime that will accommodate physical, emotional and environmental needs. Our new collaboration focuses on community outreach and educating people who do not live with a disability about what daily life is like for those who do.
Impact
How do you know your collaboration has been effective?
Our pilot project includes both a pre and post questionnaire that teachers will administer to their students. Questions like “When I say the word “disability” what do you think of?”, “Can you name some different kinds of disabilities?”, “Do you know someone with a disability?” and “What will you do differently if you encounter a person with a disability?” will be asked, recorded and reported back to Hammer. This data will help us to establish a baseline and then evaluate the success of the curriculum.
On an informal basis,teachers have commented that this curriculum is filling an unmet need. It provides a variety of tools and flexibility so that teachers can continue the lessons of courage and kindness throughout the year.
What progress or impact has been made?
The pilot has been implemented, beginning with stories that bridge conversations between teachers and students about differing abilities. Formal progress has not yet been reported. Informally, teachers, administrators and parents have expressed strong interest for this kind of curriculum.This need is amplified by current media attention of bullying through social media.
Next Steps
How would you go about continuing, expanding, or replicating this collaboration?
Already, the collaborators have discussed expanding the curriculum to include additional character qualities (like courage and kindness) for all grade levels in the Wayzata Public Schools. Additionally, the concept of a formal student awards program has been discussed whereby students who exemplify the specific character qualities addressed in the curriculum would receive public acknowledgement for their positive behavior.
The current curriculum written for 1st graders can be used in public schools throughout the Twin Cities, the state and the country.
Describe the current stage of implementation and desired next steps
The Ralph in the Schools pilot program began in October of 2011 during National Character Counts week. Students were introduced to a story about Eddie Lee, a boy with Down Syndrome and were engaged in a discussion about individual differences and character qualities of courage and kindness. Then, in early November, each student will be given a table top “Ralph” statue to paint with the art teacher who will further discuss “Ralph’s” story of living a full life while being served by Hammer. By the end of January the curriculum will be complete after each Plymouth Creek first grader has a chance to play the game “Finding the Lands of Courage and Kindness” and meet Stacey, the self advocate and individual served at Hammer who lives with a disability.
Hammer is preparing for predicted cuts in government stipends of 5%-10%. This translates into $750,000 to $1,500,000 of our budget. Therefore, we have implemented this curriculum in an effort to diversify our revenue streams by tapping into potentially new funding sources.
A work group will be formulating specific plans for this curriculum after the pilot project has been completed in January. Ideas to market the curriculum as a source of additional revenue for Hammer will be investigated. Until future plans are complete, our Ralph in the Schools Program will require funding from additional sources like InCommons Challenge if it is to continue. We want to continue to do the work of our hearts and further Hammer’s mission to give people the opportunity to experience a full and happy life. With this curriculum, we want to make a difference in our communities in lasting and profound ways; teaching people how to be good citizens.
| 134 weeks ago Ellen Timmerman-Borer updated this Competition Entry. | |
| 135 weeks ago Ellen Timmerman-Borer submitted this idea. |
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