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This summer I will be heading overseas to help design and implement a special education program for youth living in Sighisoara, Romania. The program will provide occupational and social interventions for young adults who have disabilities; it will operate on Christian principles and from a Christian world view. Each month will have a slightly different focus.

May

I will arrive in Sighisoara during the second week of May. My immediate focus will be on enrolling in language classes and continuing the needs assessment already begun by Veritas and other nongovernmental organizations around the area. We will meet with teens with special needs, along with their parents/caregivers, to learn about their unmet needs and what services might be most beneficial for them. If the needs assessment is in agreement, we will organize regular social events for fellowship and social skill support. Ideally, we will meet at least twice a week, and our group will include youth with disabilities as well as teens from other Veritas' clubs. Participating in some summer camps and equestrian therapy are other options we will explore. The second tenant of the program will be laying a foundation for job skills training. We will use a vocational skills/interest survey to decide what types of job training would be practical and match the abilities and interests of the young people, as well as the local job market.

June & July

Within the first week of June I would like to implement the program. We will do ongoing assessment of our program and the teens' progress, build our vocational and social skills curriculum, and through collaboration with each other and local professionals, work on our own professional development. As we learn more about the needs and personalities of the youth and their families, we will make different adjustments to better serve them. On the side, I will be writing grants in an effort to secure more funding for the continuation of the program.

August

Most of the summer camps and clubs wrap up at the beginning of August. Our program will be no exception. The last few days of July and the first few days in August will be spent organizing all of the supplies and plans for when the program re-opens; we will finish the final youth and program assessments and make any last minute adjustments. I will come back to the States during the first week of August.

The Budget

I would like to raise $7,000 - $10,000 for the start-up of the program. My expenses – airfare, transportation, room and board, language classes, and translator – will be covered by around $4,000. The rest of money will be used strictly for program start-up costs, and any remaining money will go into an account for future program costs. Veritas plans to continue the program and even expand it to run all year.

What do I desire in my deepest heart-of-hearts regarding this trip and project?

My primary goal is to create a fully sustainable and culturally-appropriate program which effectively meets the needs of the youth in Sighisoara and can be continued and built upon by Veritas. However, I would love to see it reach much deeper than this. I want it to be a safe place for youth and their families, where they feel the welcoming and supportive love of Jesus and the local body of believers. Job training is very important for the youth, but we will have missed the mark if that is our main focus. I don't want to lose sight of the teens as people with unique needs. Relationship and discipleship should also be our focus. If I can play a part in creating a program that strives to meet the needs of young people and their families in this way, I will be incredibly blessed.