About Fire
An Idea that Ignited
In 1996, a group of parents founded the Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education (F.I.R.E.) to realize a common dream for their children with special needs to attend parish schools with their siblings and neighbors. Since F.I.R.E.’s founding, the non-profit organization has provided essential financial grants to numerous schools within the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
Opening School Doors for Special Kids
F.I.R.E. funding subsidizes the costs of special education services for
children with diagnosed special needs, including Down syndrome, developmental
delays, Lowe’s syndrome, spina bifida, autism, and cerebral palsy,
in an inclusive setting.
F.I.R.E. Parent Group Information
Additionally, students with mild learning disabilities receive services and support from modifications and instruction provided by special education teachers and para educators within inclusive classrooms and resource rooms.
What is inclusion?
Inclusion is an approach in which all children learn together in the same
school with the necessary services and support to ensure their success.
For F.I.R.E., this means providing parish schools with necessary funding
of professional support to successfully include students with special needs
into their educational community. Students with special needs are able to
accomplish their own individual academic objectives while learning alongside
their peers.
Click here for the Catholic Key article on Sports, Inclusion and the Class of 2010
By Marty Denzer, Catholic Key - Catholic Key Reporter May 7, 2010
Click here for the F.I.R.E. Video on Youtube Opens in a new window for a larger view
Our board members:
Officers
Margaret VanDyke
President
Dan Bowers
Vice President
Katie Levi
Treasurer
Mary Madden
Secretary
F.I.R.E. Board of Directors
Marilyn Breitenstein
Josh Brewster
Patricia Burbach
Kevin Connor
Patti Dearth
Rob Flores
Mary Anne Hammond
Jeff Hughes
Mark Lopez
Chris Powell
Joe Rose
Mark Ungashick
Executive Director
Maura Nulton
Be a F.I.R.E. Starter
It is only through the generosity of people like you that F.I.R.E can help diocesan schools educate children with special needs in an inclusive setting.
See Inclusion in Action...
and get a glimpse at how much fun it is to be a supporter of F.I.R.E.!
