On April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the beige white surf house of South Bay Yacht Club hosted approximately 60 FCSN members and families and marked the first FCSN family outing since the pandemic. The atmosphere was filled with joy and laughter as families and friends participated in a wide variety of outdoor entertainment: kayaking, birdwatching, hiking, cycling, and bicycling. Continue reading First Family Outing Since Quarantine
On March 25 at the Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland, FCSN’s own Auntie Anna Wang received the Women’s Hall of Fame award for her work with special needs children. The Women’s Hall of Fame is a platform that pays tribute to exceptional women in 13 different categories who have made remarkable strides and valuable contributions to both Alameda County and its residents. Recently, Anna also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Alameda County Developmental Disability Council for her lifetime dedication to the special needs community. These two awards serve as a testament to Anna’s commitment and passion for improving the lives of special needs individuals. Continue reading Celebrating Trailblazers: Anna Wang’s Journey to the Women’s Hall of Fame
Art is a fantastic medium for students of all ages to develop their creativity and their imagination. The Cartoon Character Drawing Class, taught by Riley Xu, opens students to the possibilities of art. The students are taught to replicate their favorite cartoon characters through simple lines and shapes, paying attention to the details of their features. Through this class of around four to five students, they develop their attention to detail, their own unique art styles, and creativity, growing with the art skill needed to make their favorite characters from the film world their own outside of the classroom. Continue reading Color Your World: Spotlight on FCSN’s Cartoon Character Drawing Class
On a warm Saturday noon, the excited hum of voices drifted among the April breeze as a gathering audience at FCSN’s South Bay Center chatted merrily while waiting for musical performances to begin. With an assortment of strawberry matcha, fruit teas, chicken croissant sandwiches, and snow bliss cookies from FCSN’s coffee shop, Friends Coffee & Tea, audience members filled the chairs of the concert room, relaxing in the cozy environment. Continue reading A Cozy Cáfe Concert at Friends Coffee & Tea
On April 22, FCSN hosted its 9th annual Special Needs Talent Showcase at the Santa Clara Convention Center Theater. The showcase proceeded from the preliminary auditions hosted at the FCSN Fremont Center and consisted of twelve performances that qualified for the final stage of the event. Continue reading FCSN’s 9th Annual Talent Showcase Brightens the Community
For the past 4-5 years, FCSN has been looking for opportunities to expand its facility in Fremont due to the long waiting lists, office overcrowding for our dedicated staff, and the lack of physical space for programs. Currently FCSN must rent spaces to run two of our existing programs. In 2020, FCSN board felt the urgency and formed a site search committee with the goal of acquiring a 10,000+ square feet (sf) commercial property. Previously, our goal was a smaller office of around 3000 sf. Therefore, it was a major decision to seek a much larger facility so we can consolidate our programs and have enough room for future expansion. Continue reading Osgood Project
In the spring of 2023, Team Alphabots, a FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team, hosted a series of 8 weekly Lego robotics classes to introduce FCSN students to engineering and programming skill sets. With the mission of spreading awareness of STEM fields to young and underprivileged students in the Bay Area, Alphabots’ nonprofit organization, Alphabots4All, reached out to FCSN hoping to assist special needs students in developing an interest in robotics. In Alphabots4All’s lessons, students use the Lego WeDo2 sets, software, and instructional manuals to build projects and learn to code. Continue reading WeDo2 Lego Spring Class Builds Robotics Knowledge at FCSN
Originally starting as our passion for biological sciences, Biology for Curious Kids has since blossomed into a virtual enrichment program to help kids with special needs learn about biology and its applications to the real world. Through cartoons and thoughtful explanations, the class focuses on engaging students and aiding them in discovering the ever-changing world. We try to make this class as interactive as possible by having the students compete in kahoots, answer questions, or just talk about their day. Continue reading Biology For Curious Kids
The Presidential Volunteer Service Award is an award given by the President to reward volunteers for devoting hours to community service. Since 2014, FCSN has been participating in this program as a certifying organization to incentivize our volunteers to participate in more activities and serve their communities. In the past year of 2022, 31 FCSN youth volunteers earned the PVSA young adult and teen awards for bronze, silver, and gold categories. Continue reading 2022 President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA)
“When I first found out about FCSN, I wanted to bring something I was passionate about to this special community,” FCSN Tennis Program Founder Sairisheeth Venkat said. Sairisheeth learned about FCSN when he was searching for volunteer opportunities online and was fascinated by the close-knit community and numerous opportunities offered by the organization to help special needs individuals. Continue reading Sairisheeth’s Journey in Creating FCSN Tennis Camp
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