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Current Jackpot: $6,704
DSC has officially launched the Queen of Hearts Raffle! Be sure to stop by Esquire Lounge to try your luck. For more information such as the current board and an update on the weekly drawing total, please visit our Queen of Hearts Page.
Meet the Prompting Theater!
We recently had the opportunity to visit with the Prompting Theater, a DSC Program, comprised of a group of local actors. The program is led by Brian Hagy, a DSP-Direct Support Professional employed by DSC, with strong ties the film and theater community. Other members of the group include Ray Pinnell, Richard Hicks, Marsha Miller, Todd Joyce and Amy Kelly. The group works on a variety of film and theater related projects throughout the year. In addition to the group projects, many actors are also involved in a professional manner with other community and independent films (outside of DSC).
One of the films the group creates together is for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, which is hosted each year by Easter Seals. To enter, the group must come up with a film within in a designated time window and they compete on a national level with other creators in cities such as Los Angeles. In the past, it has been a little difficult having to work within specific location guidelines. Finding an accessible location for everyone in the group to get to within a short time frame is not always easy.
This year, the guidelines have been expanded to be more accessible for everyone. He hopes this will help their group be more competitive with the resources they have. “This is educational for everyone because it’s important to understand that people with disabilities encounter these obstacles every day. Their wheelchairs may not be able to access every location at a restaurant, or somewhere they’d like to visit.”
They are also given a theme for the challenge and then the group brainstorms about what they want to do for the film. “Members are very creative, so we’ve come up with some wacky ideas at times, but one thing we’ve learned is that film is very different from theater. The group used to do more theater, but as we’ve grown in film production, we’ve found it to be more accessible to everyone.”
Darren Wolken, who has been involved with a number of film projects, including the award-winning film “Crop Dust,” has learned editing, sound and lighting from his involvement with the group. DSC has a large screen and software on-site to allow the group to be able to work on their projects. Darren is also in process of working on a film with the Champaign Park District.
Group member, Amy Kelly said her favorite project, thus far has been Petrushka, a film about a Russian puppeteer. Her fellow group members were quick to agree with her on their mutual fondness for the film. The film has not been released to the public yet. It’s a longer project compared to other films that the group has worked on. It’s about an hour and forty-five minutes and includes a lot of special effects. Those special effects require the assistance of a graphic designer and though the group has had some volunteers, they can still use additional help from a graphic designer.
Going back a few years, the group created a short film about C-U Oktoberfest, one of DSC’s fundraisers, called “A Quest for Legendary Treasure.” It was initially going to be a couple of minutes, but as the treasure hunt for German chocolate cake and other items pertaining to German culture began and area businesses got involved, the group’s excitement grew and it became a longer film. We’ll pull this out of the archives this week and feature on our C-U Oktoberfest page.
You can also be on the lookout for a music video that the group has participated in with Parkland Pops. The video is set to release sometime in May and will highlight some of the history of people with disabilities.
Plus, they are currently working on a new short film. The filming has completed, and the troupe is now learning how to edit a film (having recently installed editing software on the computer they have in the theater). The computer is slow, making editing difficult to do, however, for a first time learning experience, the troupe is excited to be adding to their skills with filmmaking. This film will release by early March, if not before.
Click below to enjoy the latest issue of the DSC Community News newsletter!
DSC and Community Choices are collaborating through the creation of LEAP (Leaders Employing All People) to advance the Employment First initiative.
Rockwell Automation was one of our first LEAP trained businesses, and when asked why they decided to become LEAP trained, Ms.Marty Miner, Senior Human Resource Representative, shared, “It’s just the right thing to do.” In working to make Champaign County an even more disability inclusive community, we are offering businesses to receive this training through the hiring, or interest in hiring, people with disabilities. For more information about LEAP contact Leslie Olson, Employment First/LEAP Coordinator at 356-9176 or lolson@dsc-illinois.org.
Congratulations to Riggs Brewery for becoming LEAP certified!
LEAP stands for Leaders in Employing All People and is funded by the Champaign County Developmental Disabilities Board. LEAP is a collaborative effort between DSC and Community Choices. This program is designed to offer a one-hour individual or group training for Champaign County businesses that offers education on becoming a disability-inclusive business. This training helps to increase the pool of hiring candidates, improve morale among existing staff, and sets the bar for other businesses in the community. If you’d like more information, contact DSC Employment First/LEAP Coordinator, Leslie Olson at lolson@dsc-illinois.org or 217-356-9176.
Well we have just the thing for you! DSC Business Operations center recycles all kinds of cardboard and paper - including magazines, catalogs, office paper, etc. - as part of our effort to keep the environment clean and financially support DSC's programs. (We do not accept books at this time).
You can bring your recyclable paper to DSC’s Business Operations at 3102 W Clark Rd in Champaign, 8am—4pm, M-F. From Duncan, turn west onto Clark Rd (just north of Springfield). Turn right to go behind DSC’s Business Operations facility to drop off your items at the back loading dock door.
Our staff strives to provide quality supports and services to consumers, their families, and fellow employees each and every day and they deserved to be recognized for their exemplary work!
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