From the Cambridge Chronicle:

March 8, 2013 – The Federation for Children with Special Needs announced that Julie Messina of Cambridge has been awarded the Community Partnership Award for her exemplary work as founder of the Learning Program Boston.

Messina, the parent of a child with Down syndrome, started the Learning Program Boston (LPB), an organization committed to the early education of children with Down syndrome. LPB focuses on parents as “first teachers,” utilizing current, evidenced-based research on effective teaching strategies that capitalize on the learning strengths of individuals with Down syndrome.

Over the last four years, LPB has grown from a few family volunteers to more than 100 parents, educators and students meeting monthly to educate and empower students with Down syndrome. Through this innovative partnership, LPB hopes to create a world more welcoming to those that are “differently-abled.”

Messina will receive her award at the federation’s annual Visions of Community Conference, to be held on March 9, at the World Trade Center, Boston.

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