Help disabled kids build job skills in technology!

There are hundreds of kids in every city with severe neuromuscular disease.

They are incredibly intelligent, with dreams, hopes, aspirations...

But they were given disabilities that limit their mobility.

They spend most of their days confined to a wheelchair.

Yet, use their beautiful personalities to navigate their lives.

They want the same things that any other 'normal' kid wants...

...listen to the same music, read the same books, watch the same movies, play the same video games, chase the same pokemon...

They want the same chance, the same opportunities in life as all their friends at school.

For this reason we are doing CAMP TechAble : a teaching program to inspire and empower these kids with technology skills!

WHY?

The world is not all butterflies and rainbows...

As these kids become adults, their disability worsens, and they face increasing pressure from their reality.

It becomes harder and harder to get the accommodations and assistance to excel in schools.

The number of resources as they transition to adulthood dwindles.

Their social support after high school becomes scarce.

Their job opportunities are restricted.

And it's NOT for lack of interest or effort...

One young boy wanted to volunteer as a phone receptionist... he was turned away and called a liability!

Another boy dropped out of college because he couldn't get the accommodations needed to take notes in class.

Their struggles seem insurmountable...

...

A few kids though, do grow up, and learn not just to survive, but to thrive in spite of their disability!

They get massive support and encouragement, from their parents, physicians, care givers and communities.

They grow up and become people like Joe Akmajian

With immense support from his family, physicians, and an attitude of resilience, Joe far exceeded his life expectancy (he was told he would die by 12!) and now works as a graphic designer and sky dives for fun!

[ That's me meeting Joe at the 2016 MDA Clinical Conference!]

...

Who am I?

My name is Safi. I work day-in and day-out with kids with neuromuscle disabilities as their doctor. I spoke at the national Musuclar Dystrophy Association conference in February and met Joe in person.

Joe inspired me.

I saw first-hand how the support of families and communities can give kids with disabilities the resources to shape meaningful careers.

Joe's success is not unique...

There are a handful of success stories across the country...

Kids who were given the right resources, the right encouragement, a supportive environment. 

They grow up and become people like Joe Akmajian, or Jon Morrow.

Jon is a famous blogger. He excelled early on as a programmer and now is CEO of his own company.

We want to give more kids the chance to be the Joe's and Jon's of the world.

Every child deserves the chance to make use of all the world's God given resources and make a meaningful contribution!

This is HOW

We want to start neuromuscle kids on the journey of developing technology career skills.

The earlier they get exposure to technology related jobs and resources the earlier they can decide to pursue them.

With God's help and your donations, we want to raise $10,000 to create a SUSTAINABLE platform to help 100s of these kids to get empowered .....

CAMP TechAble! 

Each 1-day camp will be designed specifically for kids with these types of disabilities.

It will give the kids and their families a chance to see how technology-related career skills can shape their future.

2 MAIN WORKSHOPS: 

• A dedicated workshop for Programming 
• A dedicated workshop in Design

CURRICULUM

Designed for high-school aged kids to come with their care givers and do hands-on exercises.

They'll play "teaching" games based on core programming principles.

They'll learn the essentials of graphic design.

VENUE

Our venue will especially accommodate kids with disabilities: restrooms, hallways, ramps, elevators, the works.

All of our workshops will be done on tablets/IPADs to accommodate for the contractures and hand weakness our kids struggle with.

Having kids with similar disabilities all in the same room will create an atmosphere of sharing and collaboration - something no other coding camp can provide.

There is no other high school or college that has done anything of this caliber.

FOLLOW-UP

A single camp won't be enough to build a career. But a collage of resources and a system for follow-up can get one kick started. That is our aim!

Our Team 

We are a team of specialists who have come together to serve this exact purpose...

Hana Rozell: Dallas-based Muscular Dystrophy Association coordinator extraordinaire. She works full-time helping kids with these disabilities in the Dallas Fort Worth area and child life is her passion!

David Epstein:  David knows what it feels like to be told that you are not good enough.  He believes everybody deserves an opportunity to learn.  After remembering when a college TA in the 1980s suggest he try a different major, David decided to dedicate a slice of his life to a "let's not give up just yet" teaching style. Since then, he has spent the next 30+ years teaching programming to kids and teachers, and working for top software companies such as LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Workday.

Tarik Adams: He is easily recognized as one of the most up and coming creatives in the Midwest. When he is not launching creative campaigns through his company Kale & Flax, he keeps it real by teaching kids in his hometown (Louisville, KY) creative design.

Safi Shareef: Teaching, Teachnology, and Healthcare. He spent the last 15 years mastering the intersection of these industries. Currently a neuromuscular fellow at Children's Medical Center Dallas - he is part of the team that helps these kids through illness.

Help us to make this happen!

Our goals are simple: 

• Show our kids and families that technology skills are viable career options through  1-day TechAble camps
• Give them the resources, support, and follow-up to further pursue these options after the camp
• Create a sustainable model to replicate throughout the country to help kids with similar disabilities (with successful camps we can get similarly aligned corporate sponsors)

What we will use our funding for:

• Our venue: set-up etc. (real-estate ain't cheap, but we have access to affordable venues that accommodate kids with disabilities)
• Obtaining IPads/tablets for our attendees (we plan to rent these, much cheaper than buying)
• Presenter flights and accommodations (they are volunteering their time - their most valuable asset, we want to take care of the rest)
• Food for our attendees (it's a 1 day event, ~6 hours, folks will get hungry)
• Media material (we want this to be an unforgettable experience for our attendees, we will have take-home media and extra support materials - this will also help us to attract future corporate sponsors)

Time to Help!

$50 - can help take care of the Tablet/IPad rental, food, and in-class material for 1 attendee at 1 camp - how cool is that!

$100 - can take care of all the media materials, follow-up package, Tablet rental for 1 attendee & their family at 1 camp - the full deal for 1 kid & family!

$500 - can sponsor the flight for 1 presenter for 1 camp - sponsoring the teacher, make your money go the distance!

$1000 - would take care of the venue for a whole camp - we would superbly appreciate your contribution and our organizers would personally send you a message of thanks!

$5,000 - You love this project so much that you want to make it happen in YOUR city / locale and we would be happy to take you up on that offer

$10,000 - You would be listed as a primary sponsor for this project in our media material. You're especially awesome :)

$Invaluable - Your prayers, support, and volunteering efforts - share the cause on your social media, tell your friends/families/co-workers - and ask God for success in our efforts!

SUSTAINABILITY

Large corporations (in both technology and disability care) love sponsoring successful events like these.

Help us launch our first camp and create a platform for future sustainable grants and sponsorship!

URGENCY

Our first Camp is for NOVEMBER 19th, that is less than a month of planning!

Our kids are ready, Our presenters are ready, Our venue is booked, all we need now is YOUR HELP!