Club Feature: Edinboro Council for Exceptional Children

“The Council for Exceptional Children is a professional association of educators dedicated to advancing the success of children with exceptionalities. We accomplish our mission through advocacy, standards, and professional development.”

This is the mission statement for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which has been on Edinboro’s campus for over 15 years. This club is currently the only special education club on campus and has 75 club members.

Club president, Lizzie Donikowski, explained that on the Mondays the club does not meet, the club holds study nights for education majors. This is a time where students can work together to study for the Pre-Service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA), the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test (CORE) and the Praxis test.

In addition, Edinboro’s club partners with Mercyhurst University, Gannon University, Penn State Behrend and the Barber National Institute to host Expanding Sociability Opportunities (ESO) dances. These are dances for adults over 18 years old in our community, who have intellectual disabilities.

Each of the four colleges hosts a dance during the year.

“ESO dances create an environment where dancers and volunteers can join together to become one, while having fun [and] dancing,” said Donikowski.

The club also provides professional speakers once a month, as well as attends a state conference in Harrisburg.

Donikowski states, “I have had the opportunity to work with many dedicated officers and passionate advisors. Being in CEC has allowed me to grow professionally; this is my second year on the CEC board as well.”

“One of my favorite parts of being the president is watching my club members out on the dance floor at an ESO dance having fun and not realizing what a true difference they are making in the dancers’ lives,” Donikowski added.

The club is hosting an event called Dancing for a Difference on Feb. 26, from 6:30 to midnight, in the gym of Crawford Hall. This is a neon-themed dance to raise awareness and money for ESO. There will be pizza, snacks, drinks, T-shirts, water bottles and bracelets at the dance. Additionally, the club will be selling raffle basket tickets.

All of the proceeds from this event will go towards providing more events in the community.

The dues for the club are $12 a semester or $25 for the whole year. The club meets every other Monday at 7:45 p.m. in Butterfield 134. The next study night for the club is Feb. 29.

If you have any questions, email Lizzie Donikowski at ed121833@ scots.edinboro.edu.

Dakota Palmer is the Online Editor for The Spectator.

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