Jen Zwilling, a resident of Brookville, N.Y. and a junior at Jericho High School, is founder of the Tourette Syndrome Association's National Youth Ambassador Program, which sends students with Tourette's Syndrome to other schools to talk about their condition. The program was founded by Zwilling with help from her older sister Amanda and younger brother Eric.
The Youth Ambassador Training Program for the National Tourette's Syndrome Association trains teens to raise awareness about TS; to advocate for themselves and for others and to educate their peers and younger children with accurate information by going into classrooms, schools and clubs to teach understanding, sensitivity and tolerance of TS and its symptoms, while displacing the myths and stereotypes that are often attributed to and associated with this misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorder.
Zwilling recently won a Brick Award, which recognizes and supports social change-makers age 25 and under, for her efforts. As a winner, Zwilling won $5,000, which will be donated to the National Tourette Syndrome Youth Ambassador program. She now has the opportunity to win a Golden Brick award, which means that an additional $15,000 will be donated to the TSA Youth Ambassador Program.
Now, she needs local support. Log on to http://www.brickawards.com and vote for Jen Zwilling. No donations are required - just a vote.
Zwilling's goal is to convey the message to her generation that "by educating children with accurate information, we can help those with the disorder to be accepted and their behaviors to be better understood."
In the U.S. the National Tourette Syndrome Association is at 718-224-2999 or at http://www.tsa-usa.org, or the Long Island Chapter of the Tourette's Syndrome Association at 876-6947.
Their website is http://www.li-tsa.org. The Tourette's Syndrome Association meets the first Friday of each month.
Zwilling leads a teen group and at the same time there is a parent support group and a kids' support group that is run by an art therapist.
Source
The Youth Ambassador Training Program for the National Tourette's Syndrome Association trains teens to raise awareness about TS; to advocate for themselves and for others and to educate their peers and younger children with accurate information by going into classrooms, schools and clubs to teach understanding, sensitivity and tolerance of TS and its symptoms, while displacing the myths and stereotypes that are often attributed to and associated with this misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorder.
Zwilling recently won a Brick Award, which recognizes and supports social change-makers age 25 and under, for her efforts. As a winner, Zwilling won $5,000, which will be donated to the National Tourette Syndrome Youth Ambassador program. She now has the opportunity to win a Golden Brick award, which means that an additional $15,000 will be donated to the TSA Youth Ambassador Program.
Now, she needs local support. Log on to http://www.brickawards.com and vote for Jen Zwilling. No donations are required - just a vote.
Zwilling's goal is to convey the message to her generation that "by educating children with accurate information, we can help those with the disorder to be accepted and their behaviors to be better understood."
In the U.S. the National Tourette Syndrome Association is at 718-224-2999 or at http://www.tsa-usa.org, or the Long Island Chapter of the Tourette's Syndrome Association at 876-6947.
Their website is http://www.li-tsa.org. The Tourette's Syndrome Association meets the first Friday of each month.
Zwilling leads a teen group and at the same time there is a parent support group and a kids' support group that is run by an art therapist.
Source
