Honoring Our Yes I Can Winners
Recognition at the CEC Awards Ceremony
Yes I Can Statue
Letter from
the President of the United
States
Special Event at the CEC Convention & Expo
Letter from the CEC President
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 its Annual Convention & Expo. The CEC
Convention & Expo is the largest professional development event for
special educators.
At the ceremony,
each Yes I
Can! winner is recognized individually. Each
winner’s name is read along with a description of his or her
accomplishments as the child or youth receives the
award.
Parents, relatives, and friends
are welcome to take pictures during and after the Awards
Ceremony.
Following the Awards
Ceremony, a reception is held for all Yes I Can! award recipients and their
family and friends.
Yes I Can! Statue
Each Yes I Can! winner receives the prestigious Youth Victorious statue,
created by renowned artist/sculpture Michael Naranjo. The statue is 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."
Special Event at the CEC Convention &
Expo
On Saturday, 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!
Letter from the President of the
United
States
Letter
from the CEC President
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