Site of Senses Project

founded 2007 by
Janesville Kiwanis Club, Janesville  WI, USA

Click photo for short video.

HOW YOUR CLUB CAN START  A SITE OF SENSES PROJECT IN YOUR AREA

START WITH SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN -

Club contacts the Special Education Director for your school district(s)
Inform your school district contact about the program. (It's likely all districts have qualified children).
Club orders and pays for a single kit for delivery to the school district. The manufacturer will handle all instructions on the use of the equipment. Special Education professionals and RNs are available to consult with your local school district director.
The school official will discuss the Project with the OT, VT, PT or CESA if appropriate and transfer the kit to them. As individual use expands, individual children will be identified and additional kits may be requested by the school district, and a funding request will be made to the local club.

THEN EXPAND TO THE OFTEN UNDERSERVED YOUNGER MULTIPLE HANDICAPED CHILDREN -

Club (or better yet, your district or division) contacts your state social services department, who can provide a list of all state programs serving the pre-school age handicapped population.
Directors of these state programs will be approached in the same manner as the school district program directors. (The difference here is that these state agencies will already know the number of qualified children, and will have a good idea of how many kits they will require in your area).
The club then orders the kits as required, and presents them to the program directors.

DON'T FORGET PUBLICITY

The presentation of these kits is an excellent photo and story opportunity to get your Kiwanis Club publicity on a local and state level.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE

The Site of Senses project is a perfect "fit" for multiple clubs to work together. It could start as a club project, expand to the Division, and become a District service project. Funding grants may be available from your Kiwanis District Foundation.

A "HANDS ON" PROJECT

In addition to your club's efforts in placeing the SOS units with school districts and families, your club can decrease the cost to the club in aquiring the units by "hands on" work projects once or twice a year by putting together the "toy kits" that go with the units. These are the items that hang from the inits that the child interacts with, thereby learning about, and interacting with, his or her enviornment.

Our club, and the manufacturer, will have instructions for the toy kit building project, for clubs that wish to supliment funding with more hands on involvement.