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Heads Up for Inclusion

Registered Name: Heads up for Inclusion

Business No: 845473255RR0001

Since 2002 HUI has been promoting inclusion and meaningful participation of all youth and individuals in their schools and communities.

Heads Up for Inclusion

about

Heads Up for Inclusion seeks to encourage full and meaningful community participation and belonging of any individual facing barriers to inclusion. HUI promotes and encourages connections through peer mentorship programs, leading to the development of permanency in relationships.

Our specific mandates are:

  1. To promote the inclusion and participation of all youth within their schools and communities, with a particular focus on youth with intellectual disabilities, where differences are acknowledged, accepted and celebrated.
  2. To share information with community agencies, organizations, individuals and other interested parties for the mutual benefit of promoting inclusion.
  3. To establish and maintain a resource base of information relating to inclusion.
  4. To provide training and educational opportunities for youth and those associated with youth, enabling them to create more inclusive environments in their schools and communities, and participate in peer education.

Heads Up for Inclusion is a grass-roots non-profit organization that was founded in 2001 by Lucinda Hage, a parent who saw her son behaving under his ability due to the segregation of students with intellectual disabilities in the local area high school. Since then, HUI has grown to include a variety of programs, and became incorporated in 2009 and gained Charitable Status in 2011. 

The Amigos in the School Program intentionally brings students experiencing barriers to inclusion (focusing on youth with intellectual disabilities, but open to all who experience barriers due to ability, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, etc.) together with supportive and inclusive student peers who together develop meaningful relationships based on equality and age-appropriate activities. Although organized and supported by adults, the Amigos School Program is truly a youth initiative. It is fueled by students who participate with a pure intent. They are simply interested in developing new relationships, including others in their school life and building new friendships.

The Amigos Program had proven to be such an effective model for change in local schools, that HUI was able to also launch a Community Amigo’s Program with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Amigos in the Community program follows the same model of our School Program, but supports adults experiencing barriers through creating peer-mentorship opportunities with other supportive community members.

Over the years, HUI has brought nearly 4000 participants through our Amigos Programs and have expanded our programming outside of local area high schools to include elementary school programs as well.

More recently, HUI also founded the Accessibility and Inclusion Network with the hopes to foster a more accessible and inclusive community by supporting current work being done in our community to improve or promote accessibility and inclusion, sharing resources and supports for the community, and collaborating with other groups and organizations to bring education and meaningful participation to the Peterborough/Nogojiwanong region.

REGISTERED CHARITY ADDRESS

175 GEORGE ST N

PETERBOROUGH, ON, K9J 3G6

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