A POPULAR dance program designed to help young people with Down Syndrome reach their full potential is returning to Bendigo.
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The Inclusion Foundation, based in Hawthorne, will restart its Emotion21 dance program after a long hiatus. It will also introduce an employment matching program to the area.
An information night will be held at Long Gully on Wednesday to outline the foundation's plans.
The foundation was established by Cate Sayers, who wanted to enrol her then six-year-old daughter in a dance class but was rebuffed by a dance school.
She developed the Emotion21 program, incorporating general well-being and fitness while also tackling broader issues often faced by people with Down syndrome.
The Inclusion Foundation also developed the Impact21 employment matching program for adults with Down Syndrome and intellectual disabilities.
Graduate, Jacqui Wischer, began work at PwC in 2020 as a consulting people and culture administration assistant and continues to work there.
"Impact21 really boosts up your self-esteem," she said. "I enjoy making new friends, having fun and working hard.
"I like having a job because I like to focus on my work tasks. It makes me feel like I am a very important person and a hard-working professional adult."
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The Impact21 Bendigo pilot course will begin in July.
The information night will be held Wednesday, June 1 from 6 - 7pm at CVGT, 17 Jackson Street, Long Gully. You can register here.
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