DSC Parents
DSC Parents Guiding Goals
Collaborate to innovate solutions that help DSC fulfill its mission and increase equitable access to inclusive educational and social opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome of all ages and diverse backgrounds across the Puget Sound region.
Build a caring, understanding, supportive community open to all individuals and families whose lives include a person with Down syndrome.
Share and nurture an inclusive climate where every person is recognized as a full-spectrum human being, with their strengths appreciated and their accomplishments valued and respected.
Strengthen the network of individuals and groups working with issues affecting the lives of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. se check back later.
Volunteer Roles
Friends Ambassador (5 positions)
Peer Mentor (5+ positions)
Parent Advisory Council (10+ positions)
Friends Ambassadors (FABs)
DSC Friends Ambassadors promote DSC Friends Groups, which are age-specific social groups for individuals with Down syndrome and their families and aim to create opportunities for mutual support and lasting friendship. With the support of DSC staff, DSC Friends Groups are facilitated and promoted by a parent/caregiver of an individual with Down syndrome, to foster relationships between children, youth, and adults with Down syndrome and their parents, caregivers, and siblings. Through DSC Friends, we aim to forge opportunities to build strong support networks and lasting friendships.
Group Ages
Pregnancy to Toddler (0-3)
Kids (4-7)
Tween (8-12)
Teens (13-18)
Adults (18+)
What We’re Looking For:
Experience with, or willingness to learn, using and engaging in a Facebook group
Desire to help promote social gatherings with other families
Committed to supporting and representing DSC’s mission and inclusion initiatives
Reflective of the diversity of our community populations in regard to race, gender, geography, socioeconomic status, etc.
Requirements
Be a parent or caregiver to an individual with Down syndrome in the Puget Sound region
Collaborate with DSC staff in organizing at least 4 social gatherings a year (i.e., once a quarter), funded by DSC
Promote social gathering for your Facebook group
Able to fulfill one-year commitment (September 2022-August 2023)
Participate in four (4) DSC Parents meetings a year (in-person preferred at the DSC Campus preferred; Zoom available)
Peer Mentors (5+ positions)
DSC Peer Mentors provide one-on-one peer support and resources to parents or caregivers who have just received their child’s diagnosis of Down syndrome, who are experiencing challenges with a developmental age or stage, or who are new to DSC or the Puget Sound region. Through DSC Peer Mentorship, we aim to help families feel seen, heard, and validated for their unique experiences and included in DSC and the communities in which they live by cultivating connection and empowerment through knowledge, information, and kindred experiences.
DSC Peer Mentor Age Groups
Pregnancy to Toddler (0-3)
Kids (4-7)
Tween (8-12)
Teens (13-18)
Adults (18+)
What We’re Looking For:
Experience with, or willingness to learn, providing empathetic peer support and resource referrals to other families
Committed to supporting and representing DSC’s mission and inclusion initiatives
Reflective of the diversity of our community populations in regard to race, gender, geography, socioeconomic status, etc.
Requirements
Be a parent or caregiver to an individual with Down syndrome in the Puget Sound region
Able to fulfill one-year commitment (September 2022-August 2023)
Participate in four (4) DSC Parents meetings a year (in-person preferred at the DSC Campus preferred; Zoom available)
Parent Advisory Council (PAC)
As the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) of raising, supporting, and advocating for individuals with Down syndrome at every age, PAC helps DSC fulfill its mission by influencing the development of social and educational programing for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. PAC is made of a minimum of 10 members, who meet with DSC’s staff quarterly to discuss current strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth and improvement in four core areas: Education, Advocacy, Outreach, and Community.
Education
Guided by the belief that all people benefit from lifelong access to quality education, DSC offers year-round educational programs to individuals with Down syndrome of all ages and their families. Because we believe all people deserve equitable access to our offerings, DSC offers unrestricted financial aid to every one of its programs and services to anyone who asks for it.
Advocacy
As our team grows, we strive to be active leaders in the Washington State disability community, working alongside state legislature and partner organizations to remove barriers and elevate rights for people with disabilities and, therefore, all of society.
Outreach
DSC continually works to ensure that our programs and services are well known and easily accessible to all populations, and that our mission to empower individuals with Down syndrome and their families is widely shared to diverse individuals, companies, organizations, and communities throughout the Puget Sound region, so all can join us in creating an accepting and inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to belong and thrive.
Community
From educational programming to social events to philanthropy, community is at the core of everything we do. DSC exists to create opportunities to build meaningful relationships between individuals with Down syndrome, families, partners, educators, providers, professional organizations, and businesses across the Puget Sound region and beyond. We believe we’ve done a good job when any person we work with or meet arrives a stranger and leaves feeling like a valued and respected friend and member of our incredible community.
What We’re Looking For:
Interested in collaboratively brainstorming solutions to elevating DSC’s Education, Advocacy, Outreach, and Community programs and initiatives.
Committed to supporting and representing DSC’s mission and inclusion initiatives
Reflective of the diversity of our community populations in regard to race, gender, geography, socioeconomic status, etc.
Requirements
Be a parent or caregiver to an individual with Down syndrome in the Puget Sound region
Able to fulfill one-year commitment (September 2022-August 2023)
Participate in four PAC meetings (in-person preferred; Zoom available), on Wednesdays from 6:00pm-7:30pm:
October 5, 2022
December 7, 2022
February 8, 2023
April 5, 2023