Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA Announces Outstanding Chapter Awards
PWSA chapters around the country have strong leaders, are well organized, offer stellar programs and services, and deserve to be recognized for their dedication to enhancing the quality of life of and empowering those affected by Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).
As such, the PWSA | USA Chapter Committee is excited to announce the Outstanding Chapter Awards to recognize the important role of chapters in PWSA | USA’s mission to Save and Transform Lives. This award honors chapters whose service positively impacts the PWS community in their state or region.
Overview
The Outstanding Chapter Awards are the gold standard for chapter excellence, and all chapters in good standing are eligible, regardless of size, budget, or resources. The Outstanding Chapter Awards encourages PWSA chapters to work synergistically with PWSA | USA to strengthen our efforts in the areas of Awareness & Advocacy, Family Support, and Research. The Outstanding Chapter Awards rewards chapters for their outstanding programs and services to the PWS community in their state or region.
PWSA | USA Outstanding Chapter Awards are determined each calendar year after a careful review of each chapter’s activity reports. The reviewers include the entire PWSA | USA Chapter Committee, as well as PWSA | USA national staff.
Timeline
Chapters need to submit an activity report and financial report between December 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 in order to be considered for an Outstanding Chapter Award. The PWSA | USA Chapter Committee and PWSA | USA national staff will select the finalists by January 31, 2021 and announce the winners during a special live webinar in February 2021. The winners will also be recognized at the 2021 PWSA | USA National Conference from June 23 -26, 2021 at Lake Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida.
Criteria
Chapters may apply to multiple award categories. Chapters need to submit an activity report and financial report between December 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 in order to be considered for an Outstanding Chapter Award.
Awareness & Advocacy
Chapters are needed to inform the world of critical PWS issues and leverage the ability of grassroots supporters to effect positive change. To facilitate conversations about the PWS community and the needs of individuals with PWS, chapters who earn the Outstanding Chapter Award for Awareness & Advocacy have spread the message of who we are and what we do. This can be through creating a chapter website; boosting awareness through social media; sending out a chapter newsletter; hosting an awareness event or walk; or putting forth a strategic effort to pass legislation, budgets, and regulations that help the PWS community in their state or region. These chapters will be considered for the Outstanding Chapter Award for Awareness & Advocacy.
Family Support
Chapters that offer support to families in their state or region are eligible to earn the Outstanding Chapter Award for Family Support. This includes offering formal supports (such as paid respite care) or informal supports (such as parent-to-parent connections). Other examples include offering a community system of programs that promote the well-being of families and their children with PWS.
Research
Chapters can earn the Outstanding Chapter Award for Research by supporting PWS scientists and clinicians. Chapters who facilitate major breakthroughs in understanding and treating PWS, identify the issues and educate the researchers on the true needs of our children and families, or raise the funds to support this needed research will earn this award.
Award
Awardees will be recognized in a press release, in all PWSA | USA electronic and print communications, and at the 2021 PWSA | USA National Conference. The award consists of an Outstanding Chapters Award certificate (one for each chapter leader) and a logo designating the chapter as an Outstanding Chapter Award recipient to use on the chapter’s website, on social media, and in other chapter communications.
For more information about the Outstanding Chapter Awards, please contact Andrea Lucy at alucy@pwsausa.org
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.