Problem:
Families of children with differences often lack ways to find resources that will connect them with their community. Our goal is to bridge the gap between resources and families

Solution and How:
We have partnered with VarietyKC to create a filterable database as an extension of their website to help families find available resources in the KC area. This will be highly functional and maintained by VarietyKC to make searching for the right socialization activity a less daunting task for parents of children with differences. Our role is to compile all of the resources we can find and do in-depth research to make VarietyKC’s job easier. They will pass our detailed spreadsheet to their website designer, who will use our information when building this heavily filtered database.

Our Pitch

VarietyKC

Penelope Guezuraga

Hi! I’m Penelope Guezuraga, a senior at Notre Dame de Sion High School. For the last seven years, I have implemented my years of dance training as an Adaptive Dance teacher at Kansas City Ballet School for children with differences. At the age of ten, I first stepped into the studio and looked around at the children who would be my students. Every one of these children is perfect in their own way, and meeting them where they’re at and dancing them in the direction of their dreams is what it means to be their mentor. 

Gaining a personal relationship with each student and their parents, they voiced gratitude for our program and the friendships formed through class. I wondered what other activities they did and how they have connected to others with similarities. Through input from families and research, we found that due to COVID-19, children with differences in social circles dramatically decreased. Socialization is a large aspect of every person's life and it is crucial for development and self-confidence. Our goal is to let as many parents as possible know about all the great resources offered in KC.

I took this class of Designing Real World Impacts because I was inspired by the mission of crafting a long-term impact to further aid the community. The second I found out I was selected, I knew I wanted to help the disabled community due to my previous experiences. I was granted the opportunity to use my time and education to benefit a local need and grow my professional network to gain real-world skills to positively affect my future endeavors. 

Bailey Biggs 

Hello! My name is Bailey Biggs and I’m a senior at Notre Dame de Sion High School. I’m passionate about art and history. I love learning about all the ways we are connected as people across space, time, and culture. For thousands of years, people have painted pictures, shared stories around a fire, pet their dogs, and taken care of those they love. I believe it's our job as people to take care of our communities and every person, plant, and thing in them. The Designing Real World Impacts course has been an incredible opportunity to help my community in a meaningful and long-lasting way. 
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People with disabilities have been pushed to the outskirts of society, deemed less-than, and mistreated for far too long. The disabled community has fought long and hard for their rights, and as they continue to do so, I would like to do my part to ease their burden where I can. My team has decided to aid the parents and families of children with disabilities in the labor of researching and discovering the resources that are available to them in Kansas City.