BLINN AND ECI HOLD CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR CHILDREN

KWHI December 14, 2015

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Snowball Toss small — Two-year-old Dante Jeffrey plays a game of “snowball” toss at Blinn’s annual ECI Christmas Party.

For the fifth consecutive year, a crowd of smiling children rushed around the Blinn College-Bryan campus Student Center, eating pizza, making holiday crafts and posing for photos with Santa at the annual Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Christmas Party.

Since 2011, Blinn instructors and students have partnered with ECI, a program of Easter Seals of East Texas, to hold a Christmas party for children with disabilities or developmental delays and their families. ECI serves infants and toddlers, birth through age 3, and provides support to families to help their children reach their potential through personalized developmental services.

After enjoying pizza and cookies, 2-year-old Dante Jeffery let go of his dad for a game of “snowball” toss.

“It really means a lot to watch him have a good time,” said Curtis Jeffery, Dante’s father. “Everything ECI offers, like speech therapy, has helped our family a lot.”

More than 120 children scurried from table to table, making cotton ball snowmen, ornaments from cups and stickers and other Christmas-themed crafts with the help of 35 Child Development Program students.

“We get as much out of this party as the children do, if not more,” said Amy Jones, Child Development Program coordinator. “This is our opportunity to give back. Most of these students will be working with children and their families in various settings, and the ECI Christmas Party allows them to apply concepts they’ve learned in the classroom.”

Students from Blinn’s Child Development and education classes, Blinn faculty and staff and Brazos Valley community members donated books and stuffed animals for the children.

“This is a wonderful idea that Blinn put together,” said Miriam Roman, ECI director. “Not only does it give the students experience working with children with disabilities or developmental delays, it gives families a chance to see that they are not alone. They can learn from each other and relax and have a good time.” Story and photos courtesy of Blinn College.