Impactful Inclusion
Troop 8462 from Cedarburg met Tom Stanton of Mel’s Charities and Ross Rinkelman, a Cedarburg native with Down Syndrome. They talked about inclusion, the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word “retarded,” and the national initiative to “Spread the Word to End the Word™”. Learning about the impact of our words is important in order to be considerate and caring, responsible for what we say and do, and to respect ourselves and others.
After they heard from Tom and Ross, the girls worked hard to decorate a banner that was presented to their school for World Down Syndrome Day on March 21. They invited all students in grades 4-8 to sign the banner and join them in the national pledge not to use the “R-word.”
We can’t wait to see what these girls do next to make a difference. To learn more about this movement for inclusivity, click here.
