FCSN Annual Drama Production: Super Mario Bros with a Twist

On July 13th, FCSN showcased their production of “Super Mario Bros with a Twist” at their annual Summer Drama Camp, held from July 10 to July 12 at the FCSN Fremont Center. The camp allowed participants to engage in auditions, act in diverse roles, and collaborate with others, including other participants and student volunteers. This year’s camp reimagined the classic Super Mario narrative, adding unique elements that transformed the familiar movie into a live-action performance. Continue reading FCSN Annual Drama Production: Super Mario Bros with a Twist

The Grand Opening of FCSN Osgood Center: A Continuation of a 25-Year Dream Project

25 years ago, FCSN board proposed an โ€œimpossibleโ€ goal โ€” to build a Dream Community that would provide resources and opportunities to support individuals with special needs in reaching their greatest potential. Initially deemed an unattainable dream, the acquisition of a parcel of land in Fremont planted the first seeds. From these seeds sprouted the roots of the Dream Project, an initiative dedicated to making the Dream Community a reality. In 2006, the Dream Project reached its first milestone with the grand opening of FCSNโ€™s Dream Center, now named the Chenming and Margaret Hu Center. In 2017, FCSN opened the doors of its second center, the South Bay Bascom Center in San Jose. Now, in August 2024, after more than three years of design and renovation, FCSN continues transforming impossibilities into possibilities with the grand opening of its third center and new headquarters: the Osgood Center… Continue reading The Grand Opening of FCSN Osgood Center: A Continuation of a 25-Year Dream Project

Digital Art Collaboration: New Artwork!

The FCSN Voices’ Digital Art Collaboration brings together special needs students and FCSN Voices’ own team of Graphic Artists through a series of weekly, virtual classes. During these classes, students and graphic artists explore the realm of digital art, producing an artwork(s) together by the end of the month. Joining our first batch of artwork that is displayed on our website is a second group, … Continue reading Digital Art Collaboration: New Artwork!

2024 FCSN Volunteer Recognition Day

On July 28, FCSN hosted its first Volunteer Recognition Day at the new Osgood campus. This afternoon event served as a housewarming for the new facility while also providing an opportunity for attendees to explore diverse volunteer opportunities and stay connected with FCSN. As volunteers and their families gathered for the special event, the center buzzed with lively energy. Old acquaintances reunited joyfully while recent high school graduates eagerly shared their college destinations with one another. Over a wide array of snacks and drinks, volunteers and parents forged new friendships, making the event a memorable celebration of the success, hard work, and dedication of FCSN volunteers… Continue reading 2024 FCSN Volunteer Recognition Day

FCSN 2024 Art Exhibition: Expressionsย 

How do you express yourself? Through words, body language? Or maybe more creatively โ€” through music, dance, fashion, cooking โ€ฆ the list goes on. Yet no matter the form, expression digs deep, unearthing a complex inner world that we all uniquely possess. This inner world houses our perspectives, thoughts, and dreams. Sitting center at FCSNโ€™s 2024 Art Exhibition, Expression manifests itself in an explosion of diversity and artistic talent. Through each piece of artwork, we are invited for a glimpse into the rich inner world of an artist with special needs… Continue reading FCSN 2024 Art Exhibition: Expressionsย 

Guardian Saga Support and The Praxeum Bring Guardian Art to the Special Needs Community

Guardian Art workshops at The Praxeum ignited collaboration and engagement, connecting the special needs community to an underrepresented culture. The Praxeum, an indigenous parkour and martial arts organization based in San Jose, hosted a special needs workshop on June 15 following the success of a similar workshop held on January 27. Guardian Saga Support, The Praxeumโ€™s affiliated nonprofit, worked closely with The Praxeum and FCSN to organize these workshops… Continue reading Guardian Saga Support and The Praxeum Bring Guardian Art to the Special Needs Community

2024 FCSN South Bay Center Yard Cleaning and Planting Project

Itโ€™s an early Saturday morning, and the summer sun casts a warm glow over FCSNโ€™s South Bay Center. Despite the nearly 90-degree heat, volunteers are hard at work. Some plant tree seedlings, others sweep leaves, and a few set up food and drinks in the cozy Friends Coffee & Tea cafe. In one corner of the parking lot, a group of volunteers lays down mulch, preparing the planters for the fragment lavender and sweet pea bushes to come. The air is filled with the scent of fresh earth and blossoming friendships as volunteers exchange friendly smiles and words of encouragement, united in their mission to transform the yard into a welcoming space for the FCSN South Bay community… Continue reading 2024 FCSN South Bay Center Yard Cleaning and Planting Project

2024 FCSN Outstanding Volunteer: Melinda Wong

For 2024 FCSN Outstanding Volunteer Melinda Wong, dance has always been an integral part of her life. Her love for dance inspired her to teach a dance class at FCSN, which for three years, she has brought to FCSNโ€™s South Bay Center. In this article, Melinda shares her experience and the valuable insights that volunteering has given her. Continue reading 2024 FCSN Outstanding Volunteer: Melinda Wong

FCSN Summer Sports Program Empowers Inclusion and Encourages Growth

At the Campbell Community Center Auxiliary Gym, sounds of footsteps and laughter rang out as special needs individuals engaged in basketball drills and team building exercises. With the arrival of summer and newfound free time, many participants eagerly embraced the opportunity to stay active and socialize. The classes, part of FCSNโ€™s annual Summer Sports Program, featured basketball, badminton, and pickleball lessons… Continue reading FCSN Summer Sports Program Empowers Inclusion and Encourages Growth