On March 31, the speaker at our weekly meeting was Elise Steffe, Development Manager for
Special Gifts Theatre. Elise introduced us to this nonprofit organization which has as its mission that it will "foster self-confidence, social, speech and language skills in individuals with disabilities, using educational and therapeutic techniques with the stage as the platform, integrating creativity and fun." We were fascinated to learn about the ways young people with disabilities benefit as well as how more neuro-typical students can also play a part. While Special Gifts Theatre was founded in 2000, the last year with its many COVID restrictions, created new challenges and opportunities both in terms of services and funding. Elise is hoping to partner with organization like local Rotary clubs to build a more robust support network.
