Making a Difference: Special Kids Crusade

Getting on stage for a recital is always nerve wracking, even for 15 year old ARIEL Theater student Maile Harty. She’s using her experience to help launch a program aimed at helping kids with developmental disabilities.

“You’re in rehearsal for so many weeks and in the end you don’t know if it’s going to happen; but, helping these kids, and giving their parents a chance to see them on stage was huge” said Harty.

Maile and Ivan Demmon are two of eight ARIEL Theater students that volunteer for Special Kids Crusade.

“We’re one of the kids but we’re guiding them” says Demmon.

Special Kids Crusade’s mission is to work with the community to find resources and support for students with disabilities, while raising awareness. The organization provides support to the families of roughly seven thousand children in Monterey County with special needs. It’s funded by the state, donations and parent support.

“What we’re trying to do is give kids with special needs the same opportunities that we’ve always given to typical kids” Say Lori McDonnal with Special Kids Crusade.

For five weeks, ARIEL Theater students helped those with special needs develop their language, confidence and theatrical skills.

“Our students are modeling what they needed to do and then stepping back and allowing those kids to learn and try. They make mistakes, but this is an environment where there’s no criticism.” Says ARIELTheatre’s Diane Caldwell-Demmon.

To see these kids get to learn how to interact. They learn that they aren’t much different and learn that as a community that we can do great things together” says McDonnel.

Special Kids Crusade is planning to start its next theater project with ARIEL in May 2015. If you’d like to learn more or donate visit, http://www.specialkidscrusade.org/.