April 21 - Letter from grant winner Steven Manning
Douglas SchmidtACT Team Coordinator
Fifth Freedom Network
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Fifth Freedom recently received the following note from Steven Manning, one of the Embolden Enrichment Grant winners:
Thank you very much for selecting me to be an Embolden Enrichment Grant recipient. It’s the first time in my lengthy time as a graduate student that I have received financial assistance.
Thank you also for the wonderful program on Friday and allowing such an inspirational speaker, Emily Kinglsey, to share her heartwarming story.
Sincerely,
Steven Manning
April 10 - disAbilities Expo
Douglas SchmidtACT Team Coordinator
Fifth Freedom Network
Email Doug
If you couldn't make it to the disAbilities Expo last Saturday, here's just a little of what you missed.
The night before the Expo was the Abilities Abound event. Emily Perl Kingsley, author and 17-time Emmy award-winning writer for Sesame Street, spoke about her experiences raising a son with Down Syndrome and her effort to use Sesame Street to teach kids about life with a disability. The main focus of the event was the Embolden Enrichment Grant. This grant was designed to help three individuals with disabilities to pursue educational opportunities and other activities that would improve their lives and develop their abilities.
The day of the Expo was filled with speakers and special presentations. The special guest was Laura Stringfellow and Faith the Dog, who lacks front legs but can walk upright on her hind legs, like a human.
Here's hoping I see you there next year!
CampusLink free shuttle service for Fort Wayne residents - Mark Souder speaks
Service to connect IPFW, Ivy Tech, local shopping areas, and apartmentsDouglas Schmidt
ACT Team Coordinator
Fifth Freedom Network
Email Doug
This year, Fort Wayne residents will have a new transportation option: a free shuttle service called CampusLink. The shuttle service begins August 24. The CampusLink busses will run during the school year and connect twenty-one stops: IPFW (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne), Ivy Tech, nearby residential areas, North Anthony shopping centers, and the Marketplace at Canterbury.
CampusLink was announced at a press conference at the IPFW campus. Citilink board president, Frederick Lanahan, said that the CampusLink program will also include discounts on bus passes to the entire Citilink system for college students, faculty, and staff. These bus passes will be available at an 80% discount for the first year of the three-year program. Bus passes can be purchased at Citilink, the IPFW Bursar’s office, and Ivy Tech’s business office.
Congressman Mark Souder, an IPFW alum, was also on hand to say a few words. Souder said that IPFW had grown and improved since his days at the school. Today, IPFW is "one of the great universities in northern Indiana." Even though the school is a satellite campus of Purdue University, Souder said the school compares to UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), which began as a satellite campus of San José State University. He added that, in addition to IPFW, "Citilink is something we can really be proud of."
Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry lauded the positive effects the program will have on the environment, and encouraged the audience to "Do whatever you can to improve air quality and go green." He said that the CampusLink program will decrease the carbon footprint of Fort Wayne’s college students by 209 pounds per day.
Citilink General Manager Kenneth Housden said that the new program is "Way cool, man!" Housden described CampusLink as "fast, free, and frequent". The service will help students avoid the stress of "combat parking", trying to find a space in the notoriously crowded parking lots at IPFW and Ivy Tech. The service is free, so people can "just get on and ride."
For more information about CampusLink, including routes, stops, and bus schedules, visit the CampusLink Web site. For more details on bus passes to the complete Citilink system, visit the Citilink Web site You can also call Citilink at 260-432-4546.
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