Honoring Our Yes I Can! Winners
Awards Ceremony
Special Field Trip
Statue
“Yes I Can!” Ballad
Recognition at the Yes I Can! Awards Ceremony
Each year, the Council for Exceptional Children holds an awards ceremony honoring its Yes I Can! Award winners at the CEC Annual Convention & Expo, the largest professional development event for special educators. Each Yes I Can! winner is recognized individually as his or her name is read along with a description of his or her accomplishments. Parents, relatives, and friends are welcome to take pictures during and after the ceremony.
Following the awards ceremony, a reception is held for all Yes I Can! award recipients and their family and friends.
Special Field Trip at the CEC Annual Convention & Expo
The next day, CEC hosts a special field trip for the Yes I Can! winners and their families. The venue changes, as the exact nature of the field trip depends on the city in which the convention is held. However, it is always a wonderful time!
Yes I Can! Statue
In 1989, world-renowned artist and sculptor Michael Naranjo created the Yes I Can! statue to be presented to each of our winners. Titled “Youth Victorious,” this statue continues to be the international Yes I Can! symbol of outstanding achievement by children and youth with disabilities.
About Sculptor Michael Naranjo
A Santa Fe native, Michael Naranjo was born in 1944. He is a Tewa Indian of the Santa Clara Pueblo and his heritage is often represented in his works. Michael began sculpting when he was a teenager. His talent and determination withstood a Vietnam injury that robbed him of his sight in 1968. Along with receiving several distinguished awards for his sculpture, he was chosen as "New Mexico Veteran of the Year" by the New Mexico chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
"If a piece has a yesterday and today, it helps make the piece better," says Naranjo. “It gives the work a soul and a purpose. Being blind makes the pace of life slower. You can't walk fast or grab for things quickly. Life is more gentle and soft, and the change brought my creative energies out. Many people buy my pieces without knowing anything about me. The work stands on its own."
About the “Yes I Can!” Ballad
Celebrated Irish balladeer Danny O’Flaherty composed the following song for CEC to capture the award-winners’ drive and commitment to succeed.
Listen to the “Yes I Can!” song (mp3)
Purchase the song from Danny O’Flaherty’s Web site
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