On Friday, March 20, CEL Board Member and co-founder of CEL’s The Nora Project Lauren Schrero joined anchor Brian Jackson on Good Day Chicago to talk about the power of inclusion in schools and why programs like CEL’s The Nora Project matter, especially right now.

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to recognize that disability is a natural and permanent part of human diversity. It exists here, now, and always. Building truly inclusive communities means making sure people with disabilities have a seat at the table in every space, including the classroom.

CEL’s The Nora Project is on a mission to promote disability inclusion by empowering educators and engaging students and communities. Through curricular units and professional learning, the program helps students understand disability and inclusion and builds empathy from an early age. CEL’s The Nora Project supports educators in developing the confidence and capacity to teach every student together, in the same classrooms, in their own communities.

Lauren shared, “What we want is for schools to feel  empowered and that they have the capacity to teach every student in an inclusive environment and we know it’s possible because we’ve seen it done… but really what it means at a personal level is all kids get to go to school in their community with their peers and neighbors and feel a part of things which is really important.”   

Inclusion starts in the classroom and shapes who we become. The students learning about empathy and inclusion today are the future change makers that will build a more accessible and connected world tomorrow. 

Lauren put it simply and powerfully: 

“Disability is everywhere. When we do any kind of work around inclusion and community building, you need to take disability into account and folks with disabilities need to be at the table.” 

We’re grateful to Brian Jackson and the entire Fox 32 Chicago Good Day Chicago team for the warm welcome and for helping us share this message during such an important month. 

Watch the full interview on the Fox 32 website!