In partnership with SUNY Brockport, Flower City Down Syndrome Network has established a new endowed scholarship to support students pursuing degrees in Childhood Inclusive Education, Early Childhood Inclusive Education, or Adolescence Inclusive Education.
“As an alum and Rochester local, I’m very excited to have Brockport be the next recipient of our scholarships,” said Nancy Consol ’11, an active Flower City board member.
This investment reflects the organization’s commitment to addressing the nationwide shortage of special education teachers.
“There is an incredible shortage,” Consol said. “The number of students that become special education teachers has continued to fall. So, we need to change that.”
Consol ’11 speaking at Scholarship Signing Ceremony
Over the past two years, Flower City has started partnering with local universities to support students. With successful scholarships at Nazareth University and Roberts Wesleyan University, the organization turned to SUNY Brockport next.
“We’ve been able to save enough money to start endowments,” Consol said. “With our scholarship, recipients are now teaching in public schools.”
For Consol, this effort is deeply personal. “My older sister, Jackie, was born with Down syndrome. There were no special education progams for her in public schools, only private schools,” she said.
Consol has experienced firsthand how inclusion and community support can transform lives.
“When I moved back to Rochester, I worked at Mary Cariola Center and got to know all the families that were involved with Flower City,” she said. “You need a tribe. When you go to a school event and your kid is different than everyone else’s, it just feels uncomfortable.” That’s where organizations like Flower City Down Syndrome Network come in.
Flower City Down Syndrome Network serves the Greater Rochester area, offering advocacy, resources, and community for individuals with Down syndrome and their families, including siblings. The organization hosts events such as its Annual Buddy Walk to raise funds for ongoing support and educational opportunities, in addition to public donations and sponsorships.
This new scholarship coincides with an important milestone in public access to special education. “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed 50 years ago this November,” said Consol. “It requires every state to provide public school programs that support individuals with special education needs and ensure they have the right to the same classroom as any other child. Families want inclusion, but that gets more difficult as the child gets older.”
For families, working with trained, certified professionals is essential. “When you’re sitting in a meeting being told your child isn’t going to get what they need, you’re going to do everything you can,” said Consol. “Our parents know that the pipeline into special education is critical.”
Although Brockport’s scholarship recipients will be selected internally, Consol hopes the scholarship will go to a student committed to Flower City’s cause — “someone who is going to stick with it, who is passionate about special education, and knowledgeable about what they are stepping into.”