Diversity Fellow Project, Ruth Evangelista
Building Meaningful Community Connections (Evangelista)
Building Meaningful Community Connections (2222 K) Download
Project Narrative
1. Please describe your activities during your Fellowship experience. Describe your final capstone project(s).
During this past year’s AUCD Diversity Disability Fellowship, I had the opportunity to support an MNLEND fellow student before through La Red Latina de Educacion Temprana MN (Family, Friend, and Neighbor child care provider- FFN). This gave me the opportunity to connect with other Diversity Disability Fellows, where they gave me the opportunity to participate in a specific project to connect, inform, train and educate about the Special Education and Disabilities service system, specifically for the Latino community. The AUCD Diversity Disability Fellowship provide us funds to support the partnership between University of Minnesota’s Institute of Community Integration (ICI) and La RED- a community-led organization that provides training, education, leadership for childcare providers (FFN) in collaboration with Diversity Disability Fellow student and co-founder of La RED Faviola Estrada and U of M Public Health graduate student Carolina de La Rosa Mateo.
In this fellowship work, I worked with the members of La RED, to develop surveys and evaluate the needs and information that the caregiver has. I worked together with ICI in the preparation of cultural and educational training to provide greater awareness about disability and disability services, resources, references, and support to members of the Latino community that are part of La RED. I worked very closely with Jen Hall-Lande (CDC’s Act Early Ambassador to MN) and together looked at what resources exist for Latino families. La Red caregivers learned and understood more about a disability system in the state of Minnesota. We have a plan to continue to offer more training sessions about this topic and continue to work with MNLEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) and MN Learn the Signs, Act Early (LTSAE).
2. Who did your project inform, help, influence or impact? (UCEDD, individual, community, state) How?
This project was special when working with the Latino community and the University of Minnesota partners, especially with child care providers, family, friends, and neighbors. We had the opportunity to be able to develop together a training where the same providers and parents learned about disabilities and special education. We learned more about how participation or education affects the Latino community when there is no information or resources on the types of disabilities. We continue to support and offer this type of information. In general, I helped families and providers have a better quality of child care, observing and supporting families, and knowing that there is help for these families from birth to adulthood.
3. Why did you choose to work on that project(s)?
Because through La RED, we provide caregivers and families, support, help, resources. This project was a great opportunity to learn more about the disability system in MN and our university partners learned about the Latino family’s barriers and realities they have.
4. What did you gain from being a Diversity Fellow?
I learned more about disability, how the system works, special education vs disability, rights the families have. I also learned how to be sensitive and respectful when working with people different than me and sharing my knowledge to change policies working in collaboration for the good of the community.
5. How will this experience impact your education or career decisions?
Continue to educate my community and myself, advocate for more inclusion and respect for all families. I will continue to collaborate with MN LEND and ICI (LTSAE / ADDDM) and other organizations for grant funding so we could continue to provide training, education, leadership, and empower Latino families to participate in the disability system.
6. What are your future goals? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
I want to learn more about disability and special education systems and connect more with Spanish speaking families with all different resources in the communities. Also, I want to learn more about self-advocacy and special education in the Latino community, especially in early education for 0-8-year-olds. I dream about developing a group only for families with disabilities kids under the umbrella of La RED, where the families have space, opportunities to meet, share ideas, challenges, and barriers in their own language, culture, values and empower them to involve in the system and communities.
7. What recommendations do you have for other fellows?
I would recommend getting to know each other, set expectations for work, listen, respect, and contribute ideas for teamwork. Communication is important and to work with the community or families, listen to their voices and learn from their wisdom.