Call for Campaigners!

It's time to take the campaign to the next level, and we are looking for some new, passionate youth leaders to join the movement and promote inclusion. We will be convening the I Am Norm Youth Summit in conjunction with the TASH national conference in Long Beach, CA on Saturday, December 1st. We are inviting organizations with a focus on youth, disability or human rights to nominate an exceptional youth as your delegate. It is the expectation of the campaign that the new youth delegates will be actively involved in helping to create a call to action, and taking the campaign to the next level of impact through on-going participation.

What We're Looking For

The youth delegate profile:

  • Between the ages of 12-21
  • Has some experience with/knowledge of the disability community (whether as a self-advocate, family member or friend)
  • Is motivated and passionate about inclusion
  • Brings some past experience in community action, especially on the topic of inclusion
  • Is trustworthy with good follow-through
  • Is willing to commit time to the activities of the campaign for a period of two years

The responsibilities of the sponsoring organization (you):

  • Nominate a youth delegate who fits the profile and will represent your organization well.
  • Ensure that the delegate's travel expenses are covered (either by you or the delegate's family). This includes airfare to and from Long Beach, CA and hotel for Friday night, November 30 and Saturday night, December 1. Conference hotel & travel information can be found on TASH's website: http://tash.org/conferences-events/2012-tash-conference/hotel-travel/.

How to Submit Your Nominations

Please complete our online application to nominate a youth delegate. We also request that your nominee submit a profile on himself or herself. The deadline to nominate is September 14th and all applicants will be notified by September 28th. Selected delegates will be given a specific agenda and details at that time.

About the Summit

The I Am Norm Youth Summit will begin the evening of November 30th with an orientation to the campaign. The Summit will take place on Saturday, December 1 from 9:00am-4:00pm (breakfast and lunch provided) and will be facilitated by staff from leading national youth development organizations. If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Couture at Kids Included Together (Amanda@kitonline.org).

We hope you will take advantage of this special opportunity to recognize a young person you work with and give them a chance to develop their leadership skills on a national level, while connecting with youth advocates from around the country.