WHAT WE believe
The National Inclusion Project operates on three core beliefs:
EVERY child can participate, EVERY child can make a friend and
EVERY child can succeed.
Click here for a printable Core Beliefs Poster
WHAT WE Do
With those beliefs in mind, we've made it our mission to make the inclusion of children with disabilities the EXPECTATION, not the exception.
How WE Do it
We work with community organizations and recreational
programs, providing them with the training, tools, and support
they need so that children with disabilities can be included in ALL
of their activities and programs.
Unsure of what inclusion is? Check out this video!
WHERE WE COME FROM
The National Inclusion Project is the product of a special friendship between a college student, a mother, and a 13 year old boy.
Clay Aiken was pursuing a degree in special education
from UNC-Charlotte when he met Michael. Michael was
13 years old and had been diagnosed with autism. As part
of his education, Clay was working with a variety of people
with disabilities; but he and Michael quickly developed a
unique bond.
The friendship soon extended to Michael’s mother, Diane,
too. And as the relationship progressed, Clay and Diane
discovered they shared more than just a connection to
Michael.
They shared a vision.
Time and again, Clay and Diane had witnessed children
with disabilities being turned away or excluded from
activities and programs open to children without disabilities.
And they both believed deeply and fiercely that we as a
society could do better.
They believed that with the right tools and training, EVERY
program and organization could include ALL children--and
in return EVERYONE would benefit from that inclusion.
Clay and Diane made it their mission to bring this vision to life. Thus on July 28, 2003, the National Inclusion Project was born.
Since that time, the Project has established itself as the
leading voice for inclusion. We’ve partnered with some of
the country’s largest youth organizations and most
prestigious educational institutions, developing cutting
edge inclusion models, training hundreds of industry
leaders and facilitating inclusive opportunities for over
15,000 children a year.
Everybody Participates Everybody Belongs
There are many ways to support our mission. One of them is through donating.
Whether it's a little or a lot, it all helps and it all matters!