Highlight on ESO Dances, sponsored by the Barber Institute
Written by Rebecca M. and Hilary P., Sprout Contributors
A Brief History of ESO
About 10 years ago, Joyce Krahe McDonnell, MA, Family Support Services Community Organizer, Barber National Institute, realized that there was a lack of opportunity for young adults with disabilities to socialize with their peers. To fill this need in the community, ESO was born. ESO stands for “Expanding Sociability Opportunities”, and gives these young people the chance to let loose and have a good time while interacting with their college going peers.
Barber National Institute sponsors 6 dances a year, hosted on site at Erie’s four local colleges: Gannon, Edinboro, Mercyhurst and Penn State Behrend. Each dance lasts two hours and has a theme, such as Beach Party, or Halloween. The February dance is a semi-formal. In all cases, the participants are encouraged to dress up as much or as little as they choose. Since the minimum age for guests is 18, ESO Dances have become a rite of passage for many – younger children wait excitedly for their 18th birthdays so that they can attend. Parents and guardians appreciate the safe environment ESO creates, and feel comfortable knowing that there is a high level of supervision.
Guests look forward to receiving the trademark yellow ESO Dance flyers in the mail. The dances are truly a volunteer endeavor on the part of college students.Space is donated by the schools. Two representatives from each college form an ESO Council that plans and puts on each dance. These volunteers then enlist the help of other volunteers from their school to attend the dances. Once at the event, the volunteers’ only task is to dance and mingle and make sure everyone is included and having a great time. Often times, there are an equal or greater number of volunteers as there are guests. It is not uncommon to have 80-100 student volunteers giving their time.
The mission behind ESO is to remove the barriers that often exist between the differently-abled and allow these young people to get to know each other and socialize in a safe environment. In a broader sense, ESO promotes inclusion and acceptance of the disabled. McDonnell says that the experience is transformative for all involved; allowing college students to see the disabled as regular people just like them, and hopefully making the community at large more comfortable around people with disabilities. McDonnell credits the incredible success of ESO to the volunteers who donate their time. She says, “It was a simple idea; it just takes dedicated people to commit to it.”
Expanding Sociability Opportunities - a First Hand Account
Have you ever heard someone talking about going to an ESO Dance? I hadn’t heard of these dances until a month ago. Many may wonder, "What does ESO even mean? What are the dances like? Could I go to an ESO Dance?”
ESO (Expanding Sociability Opportunities) Dances give young adults with special needs time to socialize. These dances are held six times a year on the college campuses of Gannon University, Mercyhurst College, Penn State Behrend and Edinboro University. The dances give these young adults time to have fun, and to be themselves around friends and peers. All of the dances are sponsored by the Barber National Institute.
I had the chance to go and help out at the ESO Dance on April 1, 2011. I had never been to one, so I had no clue what to think while I was getting ready. Some people may put labels on young adults with special needs. Some may think, "Why bother putting on a dance just for them?” When I heard what ESO was, I was thrilled to hear that these young adults could go to a dance and be themselves. Perhaps they never got to experience Prom or any high school dance because they felt they didn’t “fit in”. At ESO Dances, everyone fits in.
As I walked in the doors to the dance, I saw that everyone was dancing and laughing and had smiles on their faces. To me that was amazing because at high school dances I've been to, you always have some wall flowers that don’t really want to dance but go to listen to the music. Here, everyone was dancing, and I was amazed to see everyone having so much fun.
Seeing all the volunteers helping out, I was amazed to see the happy smiles on their faces. Just by being at the ESO Dance, I felt really happy. Everyone should take the chance to volunteer at one of these dances. You can make a difference in someone’s night, and meet people that will change your life.
For questions about upcoming ESO Dances, call Joyce at Barber National Institute, 814-878-5905.
