Behind the Scenes of FCSNโ€™s Successful Art Exhibit, “Through Our Eyes”

From the opening night on September 9 to the public exhibition on September 10 and September 12-14, Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) held their 1st Art Exhibit, “Through Our Eyes,” a celebration of special needs talents in the arts. FCSN has always valued the arts of their students and wanted to organize this showcase to give exposure to their artists and their art. Continue reading Behind the Scenes of FCSNโ€™s Successful Art Exhibit, “Through Our Eyes”

First Post-Pandemic Summer Dance Camp 2022

From June 20 to July 18, FCSN held its 2022 Summer Dance Camp at the South Bay Center in San Jose. The camp consisted of weekly Monday lessons from 3:30-4:30 PM. Instructed by student volunteers Claire Luo and Melinda Wong, this summer dance camp taught students fun dance moves, while also encouraging overall fitness and being physically active. In a typical lesson, the two instructors would first lead students in warm-ups, stretches, and โ€œacross the floorโ€ exercises. Then, they would spend the remaining 30 minutes teaching students two dance practices. Continue reading First Post-Pandemic Summer Dance Camp 2022

Special Needs Talent Showcase Through the Years

Founded inย 2015, the showcase gives special needs individuals the opportunity to display their talents, passions, and abilities. Through the pandemic, the showcase has faced its share of challenges. However, the event emerged successful, pioneering a Zoom and in-person hybrid model for the auditions and final competition for 2022. Continue reading Special Needs Talent Showcase Through the Years

The Gift of Musicโ€“The Inspirational Story of the Dream Achievers Band

Alice Jen, Greg Hebert, and Lawrence Wang are talented musicians with autism who have given countless performances all over the world, changing the public’s perceptions of people with special needs. To get to where they are today, each of them experienced very different journeys, both in terms of music and in their personal lives. Continue reading The Gift of Musicโ€“The Inspirational Story of the Dream Achievers Band

Connecting Communities One Performance at a Time: Music in the Park

Since 2017, FCSN parent Sufen and her talented musician son Chiling would regularly bring instruments to the local parks and perform for the community. In addition to sharing his musical talents, they hope to bring the community together, and destigmatize the autistic community through such performances. Continue reading Connecting Communities One Performance at a Time: Music in the Park

Bop to the Top: Teaching Karaoke Class

FCSN youth volunteer Sara Kuang shares her experience teaching Matthew karaoke. Despite awkward moments during the first session, Sara quickly pivoted and tailored the classes to fit Matthew’s interests. In the process, they both learned a lot from each other, had an amazing time singing karaoke, and developed a genuine friendship. Continue reading Bop to the Top: Teaching Karaoke Class