January/February Newsletter 2011

The Arc Times

LIVE TO DANCE with The Arc Stars

Waltz to Hip-hop… Live to Dance with The Arc Stars is hitting Southern Oregon!

This first annual event will pair local ‘celebrities’ and ‘The Arc Stars’ for a dance celebration modeled after Paula Abdul’s ‘Live to Dance’ show KTVL (CBS). Our event will showcase all forms of dance, from waltz to hip-hop, in a totally inclusive format.

The Arc of Jackson County is proud to host the 1st Annual Live to Dance with The Arc Stars on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at the Rogue Valley Country Club at 7:00 PM.  The evening’s entertainment will begin with exhibition dancing during dinner by some of the Rogue Valley’s finest dancers followed by the dance competition. Tickets are $45.00.

Please call Trish at 541-779-4520 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for tickets or information.

Proposed State Budget Cuts to DD Services—COMMUNITY FORUMS

Learn about proposed budget cuts to DD services!

Learn what is being done to advocate for your services!

Learn what you can do!

The Arc of Jackson County receives $35,000.00 for School-to-Community Transition Program for people who experience Intellectual and other related Developmental Disabilities.

Thanks to an anonymous donor, The Arc of Jackson County has received a $35,000.00 sub-grant from The Arc of the United States to spend over the year to expand services and improve outcomes for youth with intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), including Autism, as they transition from school to adult life. In July of 2009, The Arc of the United States received a $3 Million dollar grant from the Walmart Foundation to support the efforts of 45 local Arc chapters across the country to improve the quality of transition planning and transition services by identifying successful programs that can be replicated nationwide. When the anonymous donor learned of The Arc’s Walmart Foundation: School – to – Community Project they gave additional funding to expand the project to 50 chapters which included The Arc of Jackson County, one of the Arc’s 700 plus chapters.

The Arc of Jackson County’s School – to – Community Project is in collaboration with Southern Oregon Education District’s (SOESD)Transition Program. The project will target eight to 10 “at-risk” students in SOESD’s Transition Program who have not graduated from high school; have unmet transition needs in education/training, employment, and/or independent livings skills; and want to continue with education. SOESD will provide transition services to the students over the course of the school year. During the summer months, The Arc of Jackson County will provide additional instruction and activities for the targeted group of students to keep them engaged in their homes and in their communities. It is hoped that the summer activities will assist with the retention of skills the students have learned throughout the school year and prevent the “at-risk” students from languishing over the summer. Many children and adults with I/DD do not have the opportunities most people have to be fully included in our society.

It is often difficult for families with children with I/DD to keep their children engaged in meaningful activities throughout the summer. This creates boredom and a lack of purpose for their lives. The reality is that when school services end students enter employment or alternatives to employment. There is no such thing as a summer vacation. The goal of our project is to help young adults with I/DD learn the life skills needed to transition into independent living, helping achieve the quality of life they deserve! The program has heavy reporting requirements to determine its success that one day could be replicated throughout the United States.

The Social Club - Medford

Valentines’ Ice Cream Social