Community Training
On October 23, 2024 The Arc of Bartholomew County hosted it’s FIRST EVER leadership training for service providers, the Live2Lead Leadership Summit. There were roughly 75 attendees in our first year, which was amazing. The training day was part of a larger event, Breaking Barriers Together, in which we brought the community together to increase disability awareness, celebrate & recognize service providers, and to build leadership skills in the community.
During the summit, attendees heard from actress, Madison Tevlin, who shared her personal story and how she doesn’t let her disability define her. “Downs Syndrome is the least interesting thing about me,” Tevlin mentioned. Read the full article in The Republic HERE. In addition, a local educator, Whittney Gaines, addressed the group regarding the cross-sectionality of race and disabilities. As a adoptive and birth mom to her children, she has seen first hand how people have treated her children differently based on their race and gender.
Our simulcast speakers were intentionally utilized from the John Maxwell Live2Lead program. We heard from John Maxwell, Jon Gordon, Michael Jr., and Valorie Burton. All are leading authors in the leadership field and shared ways to increase our leadership skills in the community.
A highlight of the day was our recognition and celebration of service providers leading the way in HIGH ROAD LEADERSHIP. We were able to award our first annual community service provider awards to:
Bill Elmore - 4 Corners Employment - The Bridge Builder Award is a people focused award that shows a collaborative and inspiring spirit. This person prioritizes the success and well-being of others, uplifting colleagues and community members while fostering teamwork and positivity int he workplace and beyond.
Angela Allen - Inclusive Options - The Excellence in Innovation Award of for someone who is building innovative and creative programming that has a positive impact in our community. They are closing the gaps in the community through these unique and collaborative approaches to problem-solving.
Matthew Carothers - Greater Horizon Financial Group - The Giving Heart Award is for a community member who is deeply committed to community service, generously giving back, fostering connections, and building unity and belonging within the community.
We are very excited to continue this offering next year and continue to recognize community members that are making a positive contribution to the disability community.
If you are interested in offering a leadership training to your organization, please email us at columbusautismnetwork@gmail.com.