Innovations at KAN
Our Goals
To create a community of families of adults with IDD and related conditions are Kennett Square by
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Creating healthy, meaningful, connected, and independent lives for adults with IDD
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Sharing resources like staff, training/support, and facilities/equipment
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Connecting with and learning from innovative initiatives underway elsewhere, and,
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Offering work and volunteer opportunities right here in Kennett
Click the underlined text above to learn more about the activities and resources we are putting in place for KAN. Follow these links to learning more about Working at KAN or about the young adults and their families who we hope will Join the KAN Family.
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Healthy walking routines
Drawing on our own background in evidence-based intervention, we have been developing guidelines to help caregivers, educators, and adult service providers to identify the many different barriers that people with IDD might face when seeking to hike natural trails, and strategies for helping to overcome these. This has resulted in the Fresh Air Self Care for All initiative, recently launched in partnership with Chester County. We are disseminating our model through a program of training and support, while also promoting the development of more accessible trail options. As a member of our team, you would have opportunities to coach others in learning to hike
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Improving natural trails for people with disabilities
We have also been partnering with national experts in accessible trail design to create new ways to rate trail accessibility. As a member of our team, you would walk with Margot and rate trails across the county to help others interested in hiking know which trails fit their interests and abilities.
Environmental conservation
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Recreation and active transportation
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Evidence-based practice
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Statewide advocacy
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If you love the outdoors, you will love working with Margot!
Check out Our Story to learn about Margot's many outdoor adventures
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If you like to bike, you will love being part of the KAN family!
We are especially interested in hiring at least one candidate who will like to bike for work. We have acquired a unique electric pedicab from Denmark (see right) to transport Margot within Kennett, as part of her work and volunteer activities. We hope that this will include the delivery of food and books to shut-ins in need, as part of our work with the Kennett Library and Kennett Area Community Services.
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We also like to bike for fun, and are open to candidates who would like to include a half-day hiking and/or biking adventure once a week. Whether pulled in her special trailer on an e-bike or regular bike, or on her adapted electric tandem, Margot enjoys exploring local paths. Hover over Paths, Trails and Routes on Kennett Outdoors - Margot has done every one of these paths.... and more!
If you like to walk in nature, you will love being part of the KAN family!
We are seeking candidates who enjoy taking walks - especially walks in nature. Margot enjoys taking 1-2 hours to complete a 1-2 mile hike on a wide range of local paths and trails once or twice a week, all year round. As part of our work on Kennett Outdoors described in detail below, Margot will continue these hikes. She will help us to map our trails for use by others with physical and developmental disabilities across our county of Chester and neighboring New Castle County in Delaware.
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If you like to ski, you will love working with Margot!
We ski several times per year, either day trips to local hills (like Camelback) or on 4-5 day trips to other east coast resorts (like Killington, Gore, and Mont Tremblant). For 2-3 hours a day, you help Margot and Peter ski together, by helping to carry her snow slider on and off the lift or gondola. Once that is done, you have another 3-4 hours to ski on your own. See a video of Peter and Margot skiing here. We are happy to help other family begin to explore other fun winter activities.
Help develop innovative
programs in Kennett
We are very excited by the partnerships we are creating to promote work, volunteering, recreation, and community connections here in Kennett. Here are just a couple of examples.
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Help to include people with IDD in environmental stewardship
We co-authored inclusion guidelines for the Land Trust Alliance, the pre-eminent organization responsible for training and accrediting land conservancies in the US. We are now meeting with land conservancies across the US to describe how people like Margot can volunteer to help improve our ecosystem.
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Here in Kennett, Margot has already begun to help by preparing to convert lawns to meadows, and control weeds around newly planted trees within riparian corridors. Join us as we work with local parks and preserves to identify new opportunities, and document their success. As a member of our team, you would participate in developing and testing new techniques with Margot and others.
Help people with IDD hike trails for health and adventure
Drawing on our own background in evidence-based intervention, we have been developing guidelines to help caregivers, educators, and adult service providers to identify the many different barriers that people with IDD might face when seeking to hike natural trails, and strategies for helping to overcome these.
​
We have also been partnering with national experts in accessible trail design to create new ways to rate trail accessibility. As a member of our team, you would walk with Margot and rate trails across the county to help others interested in hiking know which trails fit their interests and abilities.
​
This has resulted in the Fresh Air Self Care for All initiative, recently launched in partnership with Chester County. We are disseminating our model through a program of training and support, while also promoting the development of more accessible trail options. As a member of our team, you would have opportunities to coach others in learning to hike