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The ceremony on December 12 marked the fourth class to graduate from Project STIR (Steps Toward Independence and Responsibility) at the Adair County SB40’s PACT Center since the Center began offering the course in January 2011. Since then, forty-one people with developmental disabilities in Adair County have completed the twelve-week class which teaches skills like communication, negotiation and problem solving so that students learn to speak up for themselves and exercise choice in their own lives.

The nationally acclaimed course also teaches about rights and responsibilities, emphasizing abilities rather than disabilities, and empowering people to belong in their communities.

This semester’s class was unique in that two of the teachers (Jamie Graham and Alice Fox) were Project STIR graduates from earlier classes who used the skills they learned in Project STIR to teach others and to share their own experiences.

A new Project STIR class will begin in January; anyone interested in learning more about the class should call Heather at the PACT Activity Center, 627-6291. The PACT Center is operated by the Adair County SB40 Developmental Disability Board, a not-for-profit governmental organization which funds essential services to enrich the lives of people with developmental disabilities in Adair County.

 

Photo caption, L to R: David Snelling, Timothy Moffett, Heather Thornton (teacher), Amanda Carvitto, Anthony Pflueger, Virginia Bridgewater, Elvis Snyder, Amanda Smith, Alice Fox (teacher), Joseph Smith  Not pictured: Jamie Graham (teacher)