JOIN THE all-YOUTH TASK FORCE

KASA—Family Voices

We want YOU! We are looking for youth, between the ages of 12 and 18, to serve on the national Kids As Self Advocates (KASA)all-youth volunteer Task Force. Be part of this really cool opportunity! To check out the details, please read on!

What Does The KASA Task Force Do?

The KASA Task Force will give advice and opinions to the KASA Advisory Board and staff about what information and training youth with disabilities need. The Task Force members will have the opportunity to help develop these materials and will also review (look over) what the KASA Advisory Board and staff write to make sure it is youth-friendly (helpful and clear).

The Task Force has 6-8 youth members from around the country. We will have one phone call a month to talk about what we need to do and to figure out who is interested in helping with different activities (for examples see below).These calls are facilitated by the Task Force Co-chairs.

The Task Force members will also have lots of opportunities to learn. Members will learn from presenters on the calls and if funding is available, they will have training at an in person meeting. They will also have opportunities to represent KASA at other conferences and other meetings. Youth on the Task Force also get to learn how a project can be led by young people with disabilities, with the staff only giving support.Task Force members are expected to spend time on reviewing documents, phone meetings and working together on projects.

Here are the ways the Task Force meets:

  • The Task Force meets every month, by teleconference for usually one hour, via toll free call. [Right now they are currently scheduled for the last Tuesday of the month.]
  • All conference calls are toll free and a calling card is provided to Task Force members for between meeting conversations and support.
  • If funding is available, there will be a yearly face-to-face meeting, for 2-4 days—time and place to be determined, expenses covered by KASA/Family Voices

We are looking for youth who are willing to:

  • Work with a diverse group of other youth
  • Work “virtually”—mostly over the phone and through email or sometimes regular mail, ‘snail mail’
  • Provide feedback and share opinions based on your experiences and those of your friends
  • Review materials for youth to make sure the language and format are “youth friendly” in order to make sure young people understand what it says
  • Help the KASA Advisory Board figure out the kinds of materials, such as tip sheets, that would be helpful for youth to have
  • Help KASA know where to send our materials to make sure youth who need it have access to it
  • Work with the other Task Force members on a group project. [For example, the KASA Task Force sent out a survey and wrote a report on issues students with disabilities have with standardized testing. Our current project is creating tip sheets for youth, school administrators and paraprofessionals on how to have a good student/Para relationship. Paras are sometimes called aids and help the student in school.]

Kids as Self Advocates (KASA) Task Force APPLICATION

DEADLINE (for Task Force applications):March 21st2010

For questions or inquiries contact Mallory Cyr at or phone – (207) 713-9132

(or you can contact the Project Director at: , phone: 785-273-3398)

Send completed applications to and please put “KASA Application” in the email subject line.

Applicant Contact Information

Name:______

Address:______

City:______State: ______ZIP:______

Preferred method of communication:______

E-mail address:______

Phone or TTY:______

Best time and day to contact you:______

What is your age? ______

Disability and/or Chronic Health Issues (please mark as many as apply)

___Mobility/Physical___Cognitive/Learning

___Communication _____Chronic health issues

______Sensory Other______

The following question on Cultural Diversity is optional. We are asking this question to order to make sure that we are representing as many perspectives as we can. Your choice of whether or not to answer to this question will have no impact on your selection to the KASA Task Force.

Cultural Diversity (please mark one)
____Asian/Pacific Islander ____Mixed Racial Background

____Black/African American____White/Caucasian

_____Hispanic/Latino ____Native American/Alaskan tribe

_____Middle-Eastern ____Other ______

_____Decline to answer

Please answer the following questions:

1. Why you are interested in being involved in the KASA Task Force?

2. What do you hope to learn by being involved in the KASA Task Force?

3. What skills can you bring to the Task Force?

[What can you help us do?]

4. Do you have 3or 4 hrs to spend a month on KASA work?

5.How did you hear about KASA?

KASA believes that young people with disabilities will have control over their own lives and futures. We will do this by informing youth about their rights, providing peer support and training, and changing systems to include us.

KASA is a growing network, sharing information through our website and through the mail, on issues that interest and are important to young people with disabilities. KASA membership is free for youth with disabilities and open to anyone who works with and cares about youth with disabilities. We also have a listserv that we use to share information, opportunities and action alerts.

For more info on KASA please visit:

1

Visit Kids As Self Advocates on the web at:

KASA is a project of2340 Alamo SE, Suite 102

Albuquerque, NM87106

Ph: 1-888-835-5669 Fax: 505-872-4780 Email: