A Whole New World For Performers With Special Needs

The joy in the room is palpable as the New Tampa Players’ Penguin Project group practices dance steps for “Prince Ali.” Peer mentor Olivia Carr dances with her Genie, Connor Olsen. (Photos: Libby Baldwin)

The cavernous main hall at the University Area Community Center swelled with a chorus of voices. The booming energy of the song “Prince Ali,” from the classic Disney film “Aladdin” sounded like a seasoned community theater production.

In fact, however, it was just a regular rehearsal for a very special group of New Tampa Players (NTP).

“Aladdin” will open on Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m., with additional performances on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. 

All performances will be at the University Area Community Center, located at 14013 North 22nd St. in Tampa. Tickets can be purchased online for $15.

The local community theater troupe’s president, Nora Paine, was attending a theater conference in summer 2018 when she learned about the Penguin Project, an initiative that gives children with special needs the chance to perform onstage. 

Established in 2004 by Dr. Andrew Morgan, who spent more than 35 years as central Illinois’ primary medical specialist for children with disabilities, the Penguin Project matches each “young artist” with a peer mentor. These mentors, who  are mostly children the same age as the performers who don’t have disabilities, volunteer their time to work side-by-side through four months of rehearsals and during the final performance.

“The New Tampa Players had been looking for something like this, but didn’t want to re-invent the wheel,” said Paine, herself a mother to three special needs children. “This program is unique because it gives these kids a chance for social networking outside of the special needs community.”

“Aladdin Junior,” which wasn’t modified from the original script, will be the first Penguin Project production not just for NTP, but in all of Florida.

The performing artists and their mentors attend 3-4 rehearsals per week that run for no longer than 90 minutes, to ensure attention spans don’t run out. Each peer mentor learns every line, every dance move and every blocking move, along with his or her artist. 

Rehearsals are no slower-paced than regular children’s theater; peer mentors are expected to keep their artists on task.

If a special needs child becomes upset, the show still must go on.

“The young artist and their mentor go off to the side until they are able to calm down,” Paine said. “Then, they come back and join us. No big deal.”

The special needs actors get plenty of support from the all-volunteer New Tampa Players’ staff if they become overwhelmed. Music director Brad Roberts and choreographer Charis Lavoie comfort a young artist. 

Paine has years of stage managing experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Montessori Education, but she and her staff of choreographers, costume designers and musicians are all volunteers.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the happiness that it brings these kids,” said Brad Roberts, the music director for NTP’s “Alladin Junior,” who says he previously has worked with special needs children.  “A lot of these kids, despite working at a different speed than I’m used to, have really impressed me with their raw talent and ability to learn and retain.”

While some of the artist-and-mentor pairs rehearsed, others sat patiently off to the side, using the time to run lines or go over dance steps. Even the youngest mentors, some under the age of ten, offered only smiles and  gentle encouragement to their artists.

“They’re just so open and ready to go for it, and that makes them be a really supportive family for each other, which you don’t always see in groups of ‘regular’ kids,” said Roberts.

Truly A Special Bond

The young mentors don’t seem to mind that all their hard work will lead to someone else getting the spotlight.

Olivia Carr works with Connor Olsen, who is playing the Genie, on his lines.

“I’ve found a really good friend, and an understanding for how these kids think,” said 13-year-old Olivia Carr, who peer mentors the young actor playing Genie. “I have a lot of fun with him because he’s very energetic, and we have the same personality.”

Olivia’s mom, Tami Carr, enjoys watching her daughter be part of such a selfless undertaking.

“She looks forward to rehearsals all day; being a kid in general is rough, so seeing anyone struggle makes her want to help,” said Carr. “I wish everyone would come and see how much joy they have. It’s contagious, and hopefully, it will ignite a spark here that will catch fire.”

Paine said she plans to put on one Penguin Project show each year, and said the response from the community has been overwhelming. She credits District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who is very involved in the special needs community, with helping her secure local sponsors, including Pepin Academies, the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, MOSI and more.

Paine’s 12-year-old son, Sebastian, mentors Jaden Figueroa, also 12, who landed the title role of Aladdin. Jaden said he wants to be a movie star when he grows up.

“He (Sebastian) helped me with my lines; we’re good friends,” said Jaden.

Paine’s 7-year-old daughter also Zoe is a peer mentor, and although the mentors don’t get the spotlight, Paine believes they gain something much more meaningful from the experience.

“She’ll come home after mentoring her friend Jack, and she’ll be so excited and proud that she helped him learn his lines and perform well,” she said. “They get a very special relationship.”

‘Hailey’s Voice’ Brings Mental Health Training To Hillsborough Schools

Hailey’s Voice of Hope will bring instructors from the Jordan Binion Project to Hillsborough County Public Schools to train local educators in a mental health awareness program that will be taught to local high school students. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Binion Project/Facebook)

The pain never goes away.

But, for Chris and Lisa Acierno, there is a way to deal with it.

By starting a foundation, called Hailey’s Voice of Hope, named for their daughter Hailey, who was 17 when she took her own life in 2017,  the Arbor Greene parents are aiming to bring awareness to something their daughter struggled with — mental health issues — and the stigma associated with those issues.

The foundation recently announced that it has partnered with the Hillsborough County School District and the Jordan Binion Project (JBP) to provide training that will pave the way for mental health awareness to be taught to Hillsborough County students.

JBP is a nonprofit organization based in Washington state, created by parents who also lost their son to suicide, also related to mental illness. That foundation has spread a mental health awareness curriculum throughout the state, with a goal of getting the training into all high schools across the country.

The Washington-based nonprofit’s first entrance into Florida is here in Tampa, thanks to Hailey’s Voice of Hope. Instructors from JBP will offer two training sessions in April. Those who complete the workshop will be “trainers,” who can then train teachers to be able to present the curriculum directly to students.

The program is designed to help students identify signs of mental illness and provide resources to help those who need them. It is targeted to high school and eighth grade students.

“We’re a small foundation,” explains Lisa, “and this is something we can afford to do that will impact a lot of kids.”

Hailey Acierno

She says the cost, which is about $12,000 to cover the expenses of the trainers who will travel to Florida, is a fairly small amount that will have a huge impact. The curriculum itself is provided for free to the schools.

The money to pay the expenses was raised primarily through a golf tournament to benefit Hailey’s Voice of Hope held last fall, which brought in more than $15,000. A second annual golf tournament is planned to be held this October.

Acierno hopes the training will have a ripple effect. Once some trainers begin training teachers, and teachers begin implementing the program, she hopes other teachers will want to be trained. As the word spreads, Lisa expects that other schools and school districts will want the program brought to them, as well.

She believes the training is desperately needed for students in today’s schools.

“I have kids who reach out to me by phone or through Facebook messages and tell me their mom doesn’t believe that there’s an issue,” she says. “I’m hoping this will do some good for kids to help them figure out how to talk with their parents better and get some resources to give them help.”

A Focus On Mental Health

Hillsborough County Public Schools District 3 School Board member Cindy Stuart says that mental health issues are a strong focus in Florida schools right now.

“This is unique in that it’s being funded differently than the typical state or federal funding,” she says. “The Aciernos raised the money to bring this to the district, and they are passionate about being sure that something different gets done to fill the gaps in the system.”

Stuart says that the people on school campuses who have the most training in mental health issues, such as school psychologists, don’t interact with each student on a daily basis. “This program will educate and train and inform our teachers — the people who are in front of our kids every day,” she says.

Elizabeth Tanner, supervisor of emotional wellness, and Holly Saia, director of student services, are two district employees who have been working to bring the JBP program to Hillsborough County Schools.

“This program caught our eye because it’s so comprehensive and gives people the big picture of many types of mental health illnesses and resources,” says Tanner. “Sometimes, it’s very easy to be knowledgeable about medical-physical issues, but medical-mental health issues can be more challenging.”

Tanner and Saia explain that part of the training will be to brainstorm how to roll the curriculum out in local high schools, whether it, eventually, will be presented to all schools or just in certain classes or to certain students. 

At this time, none of those things had yet been determined.

However, Tanner and Saia agree that anyone who is trained and wants to go back and immediately implement the program at their schools are welcome to do so right away.

“This curriculum is very beneficial,” Saia says. “We’re excited to see a curriculum this in-depth that they are willing to share, free of charge.”

The two training sessions in Tampa will be held Monday-Thursday, April 22-25, at Keiser University on W. Waters Ave. in Tampa.

The two-day workshops are open to all Hillsborough County teachers and staff, with some seats reserved for representatives of private and charter schools, as well as from other Florida counties. 

To learn more about signing up for this training, contact Lisa Acierno at foundation@haileysvoice.org.

Acierno says there has been a great response to the program so far. Within a couple of weeks of announcing the training, she says that more than 100 spots were already reserved.

“I’m going to one of the trainings myself, so that I can train teachers in the future,” Acierno says. “This is my way to cope.”

For more information about Hailey’s Voice of Hope, visit HaileysVoice.org. To learn more about the Jordan Binion Project, visit JordanBinionProject.org.

NTRC Expansion Will Break Ground Next Month

This is the latest rendering for the NTRC expansion. The new additions are the lower rooms in yellow. (Image: Tampa Parks & Recreation)

The New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) expansion is, officially, a go.

Despite a number of obstacles over the years, including being dropped from the budget on more than one occasion, the Tampa City Council approved an additional $660,000 in funding on March 7 and voted 7-0 to award the contract to Valrico-based Phinazee and Granger Construction, Inc.

A groundbreaking is scheduled for Friday, April 12, at 10 a.m.

“There is no going back now,” said District 7 City Council member Luis Viera. “It 100 percent has been set off on its course.”

The NTRC’s 7,825-sq.-ft. expansion is expected to make the facility’s immensely popular gymnastics and dance programs more accessible to those currently on a waiting list that numbers in the thousands of names.

The expansion is expected to be completed around the end of 2019.

Paul Dial, the director of the City of Tampa’s Parks & Recreation Department, says a number of improvements will be made, but noted that three will make the most impact.

First, Dial says, one of the new rooms being designed will be for participants ages 6 years old and younger. 

“That will allow us to really focus on our efforts with them in a smaller setting, versus the large gymnasium, or gymnastics room, they learn in now,” he said. Not only will it create less distractions for the younger athletes, according to Dial, but it will free up more room for the older competitors in the existing areas.

Secondly, one of the additional rooms will double the area for the NTRC’s popular dance program. 

And thirdly, says Dial, another room is being developed that will be called the Training Box, which will have an emphasis on strength and conditioning and also feature a youth and adult component, the latter of which does not currently exist at the facility. “We think all three of these will really enhance the center,” Dial says. “We’re pretty excited about them.”

Although $1.9 million was approved in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget for the expansion, following a vocal effort by supporters from New Tampa and some contentious debate on the City Council, the cost estimates at the time proved to be too low compared to the bids the city received for the project.

Dial said rising costs for materials, such as steel, as well as higher prices due to a better economy, were to blame. “You never truly know the cost of a project until the bids come in,” he said.

Phinazee and Granger Construction, Inc.’s bid of $2,390,000 required additional funds — $660,000, or 27 percent of the original estimate — to be reallocated to cover the costs. Although two lower bids were rejected for errors, the Phinazee and Granger bid was the lowest of the seven others submitted.

Viera says the $660,000 came from a pool of funds set aside for projects that go over budget. “There’s red flags for something like that, when it requires additional money,” Viera said. “I was prepared for that. Let’s put it this way — was I worried? Yes. But was I actively worried something would happen and the project would be sunk? No.”

Psst, Parents: Are You Looking For A Summer Camp For The Kids?

(Photo Cred: Earth Immersion Facebook) One of 40+ vendors who will be present at Summer Camp Expo 2019, on Saturday, March 30th.

Finding something to keep your kids busy during the summer may be one of parenting’s most difficult challenges, and finding a camp before they fill up can be a grind.

Miriam Cook, the founder of Family-Friendly Tampa Bay, is trying to make those tasks a little simpler.

For the third straight year, Family-Friendly Tampa Bay will hold a big Summer Camp Expo for parents in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.

Scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Plantation Palms Golf Club (23253 Plantation Palms Blvd.) in Land O’Lakes, the expo is free for anyone to attend.

“This is our third year connecting summer camp experts with campers in Tampa Bay,” says Cook. “With over 3,500 event participants over the past two years, they have told us that our expos help create stress-free summers for parents, provide a variety of affordable summer program options and a fun and interactive experience for their children.”

Providers from more than 40 camp and programs — ranging from sports and adventure camps to tech and coding camps — are expected to be on hand to demonstrate camp activities and offer exclusive discounts to attendees.

The Summer Camp Expo also will be something of a camp itself — there will be bounce houses, an all-ages dodgeball area, free crafts and a petting zoo.

Expo-goers also can take advantage of a BOGO round of mini-golf on the Plantation Palms mini-golf course.

Although the Expo is free to attend, those who plan to take part in the festivities are asked to go to Eventbrite.com and search for “Family-friendly”to register. General admission is free, and VIP tickets are available for $20, which include a large beach bag, $75 in coupons for local attractions and other goodies. For additional information, visit FamilyFriendlyTampaBay.com/tampa-summer-camp-expo/. 

New Tampa Teen Wins Community Hero Award From The Lightning!

Harsh Bagdy (right) with 9-year-old Sabian, who was the first to receive a donation from Harsh’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Charity Health Resources.

When New Tampa resident Harsh Bagdy was in the fifth grade at Montessori Preparatory School, the place he loved the most was the soccer field — and it was in bad shape. More rocks and dirt than grass, it was too dangerous to play on.

So Harsh, whose father Ash had instilled in him a passion for giving back, decided to do something about it. Together, they rallied people in the community to raise $40,000 for a brand new field.

That was only the beginning. In seventh grade, Harsh secured enough money to build a new computer lab at Terrace Community Middle School. By his sophomore year at King High, he had founded his own nonprofit, Charity Health Resources, a 501(c)(3) that raises money to purchase quality wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs and other devices for people without adequate health insurance.

“I see mobility as something we all take for granted,” said Harsh, whose mother Kavita Jain works as a physical therapist. He said she often tells him about the great need for mobility equipment she sees. 

“It’s impossible to go out, have a job or do really anything if you aren’t mobile, and if you’re worried about paying for food or housing, you can’t do anything about it,” he said.

Harsh, 17, a first-generation American whose parents moved to Tampa from India 25 years ago and now a junior in high school, was honored by the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 19 as this season’s 25th Lightning Community Hero.

He received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program. Half of the money will go towards his own education. He gave the other half to Metropolitan Ministries, an organization he’s been volunteering with since the sixth grade, and the one he turned to when establishing Charity Health Resources. 

“I instantly connected with Metro’s outreach team, because we had something they couldn’t easily provide and they could find people who needed it,” said Harsh. 

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Alex Killorn (left) and CEO Steve Griggs present Harsh Bagdy, the 25th Lightning Community Hero this season, with a check for $50,000.

A new partnership between Metropolitan Ministries and Charity Health Resources, made possible by Harsh’s winnings, will put more members of the outreach team further into the community, allowing them to find mobility-challenged clients who are unable to travel to the main outreach center in Tampa Heights. 

“Because of Harsh, when our team meets someone in the community with a handicap or mobility challenge, we can just call him up and he’ll fulfill the need,” said Metropolitan Ministries’ president and CEO Tim Marks. “That’s something we never could have done without him.”

Charity Health Resources, said Harsh, has made between 15-20 donations in its first year. Their first donation was a new wheelchair for a 9-year-old boy named Sabian with spina bifida. He was growing too big for his chair and too heavy for his mother and grandfather to carry around, but his insurance wouldn’t pay for another wheelchair for two more years. 

The chair that Charity Health Resources donated to him enabled him to return to riding around in his grandfather’s car, spending time with his cousins and other family.

“I really enjoy hockey,” said Harsh, who attended the January 19 Lightning game against the San Jose Sharks as the team’s guest of honor. “I see it as a faster-paced soccer game.”

When Harsh — who is enrolled in demanding International Baccalaureate (IB) classes at King and travels multiple weekends a month for debate competitions, and also is a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) member — isn’t at school or doing charity work, he still loves playing soccer and occasionally goes out for movies or dinner with his friends.

He’s hoping for admission into a prestigious business school to pursue his interests in business.

“Being chosen for this award felt amazing, both for me and for the work I’m doing,” Harsh said. “I may get the recognition for it, but the best part is that it allows me to spread my branches further and help people in areas I couldn’t reach before.”

For more information about Charity Health Resources, visit charityhealthresources.org. For additional information  about the Lightning Community Hero award, visit NHL.com/lightning/community/community-heroes.