Apr 29 Monday
The Human Rights Authority is the investigative branch of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, a state agency that is dedicated to advocating for the rights of citizens with disabilities in Illinois. The Human Rights Authority investigates alleged violations of the rights of persons with disabilities by providers of services. The agency is unique in its use of citizen volunteers to conduct these investigations and make corrective recommendations. As such, Regional Authorities are always seeking to fill vacancies as they occur as well as maintain a pool of potential volunteer members for times when the need arises.
If you feel that you, or someone you know, has had their rights violated by a disability service provider or if you would like to volunteer to participate in the Northwest regional board, located in Champaign, please visit the website at gac.il.gov or call the statewide intake at 1-866-274-8023.
CHILDREN NEEDED FOR AUTISM RESEARCH STUDY EXPLORING COORDINATION AND BALANCE AT NIU
Children between 3 and 12 years of age with and without a diagnosis of autism are eligible to participate. Children will engage in a variety of motor tasks, such as pulling a string, repeating a spoken sentence, or walking on a straight line. Entire study takes about one-hour. Children will receive a small toy.
Interested? Please complete an interest form by going to https://www.niu.edu/huskieslab/participate/index.shtml, emailing huskieslab@niu.edu, or calling The Human Speech Kinematics Experimental Studies (HUSKIES) Lab at 815-753-5211.
Questions? Please reach out to Allison Gladfelter, PhD, CCC-SLP, agladfelter@niu.edu, or Doug Wallace, PhD, at dwallace@niu.edu.
Our research lab is located in the NIU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic DeKalb, IL 60115.
Join us to discover the powerful link between physical activity and mental wellness. Uncover the science behind how exercise combats anxiety, depression, and stress, and learn easy and practical ways to integrate fitness into your daily life for a healthier mind. Join us for an engaging, informative session complete with real-life examples and interactive elements. Presented by Jesse Golliher, owner of Rewire Fitness and Nationally Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Free and open to the public, but registration is required. To sign up, visit www.harvard-diggins.org/events
As an outreach to more than gardeners, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in DeKalb is sponsoring a lecture from Dr. Mylan Engel, a professor at NIU and head of VEG – the vegetarian club on campus. He will speak on “Eating for Optimal Health”, talking about the health benefits of plant-based eating and designing a healthful nutritionally complete plant-based diet.
Apr 30 Tuesday
The NIU Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), established in 2000, is a member-directed group of individuals primarily age 50+ who enjoy learning in informal, flexible, non-competitive groups and like connecting with peers who share their interests. No grades, no tests – just learning for the fun of it.
Tuesdays, April 16, 23, 30 and May 79:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Although Italians involved in the tourist industry often know basic English, especially in such popular destinations as Florence, Venice, and Rome, that is certainly not the case in every situation you will encounter in this fascinating country. In our workshop, participants will learn how to pronounce Italian, introduce themselves, and enhance their experiences in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Reading from store signs and menus provided on PowerPoint, everyone will become adept at purchasing items, ordering meals, paying the bill, and handling pesky Italian waiters without having to resort to English. Italians typically expect that American tourists have never studied their language; here’s your chance to make a big impression!
Convener: Christopher Nissen is professor emeritus of Italian at NIU. His previous contributions to the Lifelong Learning Institute have included sessions on Venice and Italian civilization of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
May 01 Wednesday
Wednesdays, April 17, 24 and May 1, 89:30 to 11:30 a.m.
COVID-19 has presented us with challenges most of us never anticipated, including isolation, social awkwardness and depression. This class will explore personal opportunities for development using creative ways to meditate and to promote positive thinking, spiritual connection and emotional support.
The sessions will be interactive and focus on the use of meditative expressions such as chanting, sound and the use of crystal and metal tone bowls. It will offer suggestions on how to use ritual and positive mindset strategies to help build harmony and explore dissonance. We will examine the resolution of stress and process the effects of sound and vocal exercises to deepen and calm the mind and spirit.
Conveners: Rev. Linda Slabon is the minister emerita of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb and is an affiliated community minister with the UU Church of Rockford. Linda serves as a board member on the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois and maintains a small private practice as a clinical social worker.
Toni Tollerud is a Distinguished Teaching Professor Emerita of the College of Education at NIU. She serves as president of the NIU Annuitants Board, and she leads statewide seminars on supervision and trauma. For 26 years Toni served as music and choir director at the UU Congregation of DeKalb.