Aspire’s November and December Highlights!

We hope you’re enjoying the cozy winter season as much as we are here at Aspire! The past months have been filled with festive cheer and meaningful moments, and we’re fully embracing the holiday spirit. As the holiday season unfolds, there’s so much to celebrate and reflect upon.

To wrap up an incredible and heartwarming past few months, we’re excited to share some special updates and highlights from November and December here at Aspire:

Academy North Highlights:

In November we visited the Rooted Visions exhibit at the Kenosha Public Museum! Rooted Visions features works of art by twenty-five Southern Black artists who found ways to tell visionary stories through art in a world that often creates boundaries.

The group also visited other exhibits at the museum that feature mammoths, world cultures, zoology and fossils.

We always look forward to volunteering and giving back with Upscale Rummage in Libertyville! 

Over the past 2 months, different groups have volunteered 3 times and spent their time separating and collecting greeting cards, and inspecting the quality of DVD and CD cases. We’re looking forward to future volunteer opportunities with Rene and the Upscale team!   

Along with our friends from Academy South, we enjoyed a sensory friendly viewing of the movie Wicked! Lights in the theater were turned slightly up and the sound was turned slightly down. The reviews are in: everyone had such a great time!

People from Academy North and South participated in Ernst and Young’s Connect Day! The day was focused on supporting the next generation of workers and it was such a wonderful day of connecting.

People participated in a panel with Ernst and Young Team Members, and there were also breakout sessions to discuss what if scenarios, and do’s/don’ts of a job interview. 

A big thank you goes out to the team at Equestrian Connection in Lake Forest for a great visit at the barn! We made treats for the horses with oats, dried carrots, apples, molasses. We also learned how to groom a horse, created a holiday craft, and were able to ride a horse! 

Academy South Highlights:

Aspire made its debut at the Special Olympics Illinois cornhole tournament, sending 9 people we support and 9 team members to compete. Everyone had an amazing time, and we can’t wait for next year’s events!

Everyone always looks forward to our visit to the Coping Together Ranch! During our visit, Buoi, one of the therapy dogs, spent time with us and even posed for some pictures! 

The Performance Dance group went to Woodfield Mall to perform some holiday numbers. While they were there, the group decided to stop and tell Santa what they want for Christmas!

Our Festive Festival was a week filled with fun and games. Everyone was encouraged to wear their Christmas gear and participate in the games and fun. The bean bag tournament was a big success! 

We just wrapped up our first-ever Holiday Showcase Dance Performance, and it was nothing short of magical! The afternoon was filled with incredible singing, dance routines, readings of holiday stories, and other amazing talents.

Countless hours of practice went into making this performance a reality, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone. The talent, hard work, and holiday spirit shined so brightly!