News & Announcements, Special Fundraisers

Farzin Fallah – Mountain Climbing in Bolivia

August 9, 2015 Kathryn Campion Leave a comment

DSC03529thumbnail2_FarzinFallah Second in a series of posts by San Diego resident Farzin Fallah chronicling his preparation and training for climbing Nepal’s Cho Oyu Mountain in Fall 2016 to raise funds for Autism awareness. Farzin is the father of a teenager with Asperger’s, and PACT will be one of the beneficiaries of this project.

Preparing for Next Year in Nepal

As preparation for my Cho Oyu climb in Nepal next year, I spent 3 weeks in the Cordillera Real mountain range in Bolivia during May. Cordillera Real is part of the Andes chain of mountains and contains beautiful 5,000-6,000 meter (18,000 to 21,000 feet) peaks. The main objective of this trip was to climb Illiampu, a 21,000-foot peak, which is the most difficult mountain to climb in Bolivia.

I began the trip by acclimatizing with a small 17,500 feet peak that was then followed by Condoriri at 18,500 feet. Condoriri is one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. After a rest day in La Paz, my guide and I set off on a 5-day expedition to summit Illiampu. Although the weather was not typical for that time of the year, we were still able to successfully summit Illiampu. As a bonus, I had time to attempt the west face to Potosi; at 20,000 feet, it is the largest ice face in Bolivia. Unfortunately, due to poor unconsolidated snow conditions, we had to retreat to base camp.

Presently, I am continuing my training and preparation for Cho Oyu. This October I will participate in the Seal Fit Kokoro Challenge in North County. It’s the civilian version of the Navy Seal’s Hell Week!

News & Announcements, Special Fundraisers

Farzin Fallah – Climbing for Autism

July 4, 2015 Kathryn Campion Leave a comment

DSC03529thumbnail2_FarzinFallah First in a series of posts by San Diego resident Farzin Fallah chronicling his preparation and training for climbing Nepal’s Cho Oyu Mountain in Fall 2016 to raise funds for Autism awareness. Farzin is the father of a teenager with Asperger’s, and PACT will be one of the beneficiaries of this project.

My son, Matthew, was diagnosed with ASD at the age of 2. From that point on his life was a major struggle to “catch up” and learn what is basically instinctual for neuro-typical kids. He struggled to learn how to speak in sentences, keep his balance, walk on grass, eat foods of different textures, and a myriad of other activities that require no thought for a typical child. The struggles continued as he grew, and the complexity of human interactions became one of the biggest challenges in his life. He began the process of learning the nuances of human relationships that we take for granted: keeping a proper distance when speaking with someone, looking them in the eye, listening without interrupting, etc. He has even had to learn about a sense of humor. His struggle continues and will continue.

Matthew has been an extremely hardworking individual and has faced his challenges head on. It has been an inspiration to see him overcome so many of these challenges and grow. However, he has not done this alone. Asides from his mom’s sacrifices and dedication, there has been a community of people helping him. Without their significant support, Matthew would not be making such great strides.

I have been a climber and mountaineer for over 28 years. Although it is a challenging endeavor, I love climbing because it provides me with a path towards personal growth. However, compared to Matthew’s, and other people on the spectrum’s struggles, climbing is more like a walk in the park. This is why I have decided to use mountaineering as platform to raise funds and awareness of autism.

I will attempt to climb Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world, in the Fall of 2016. Cho Oyu stands at an elevation of 8,201 m (26,906 ft.) on the border of Nepal and Tibet, a short distance from Mt. Everest. I will pay for all expedition costs. All funds raised will be donated to a small number of advocacy and support organizations such as PACT.

News & Announcements, Testimonials

Thank you Sandy Redmon

May 14, 2015 Kathryn Campion 1 Comment

Sandy-for-blog Sandy Redmon, PACT’s Artistic and Workshop Director, develops and teaches theatre, music, and dance activities that help teens and young adults with autism learn to express themselves and enjoy a shared world. The activities at PACT’s improvisational theatre workshops are the result of Sandy’s research and her original ideas. She also develops excellent choreography for the performing arts workshops.

Because of her personal experience with Aspergers in her family, Sandy teaches with compassion. She is also unusually good at gaining the cooperation of teens. And she makes it fun. I think I speak for everyone who has ever attended your workshops – “Thank you Sandy!”

Kathryn Campion
Co-founder/Executive Director
Positive Action Community Theatre (PACT)

Media Coverage, News & Announcements

PACT Featured in “Encinitas Advocate”

April 13, 2015 Primiano Leave a comment

PACT is pleased to be featured in the April 10, 2015 issue of the Encinitas Advocate. This timely article does a great job of capturing the work we do to help those with unique needs realize their potential, as well as the history and many benefits of our theatre workshops and other programs. We hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about us in the Advocate’s article titled, “Encinitas Theater Group Helps Those with Autism Learn to Act — and React.”

Media Coverage, News & Announcements, Testimonials, Volunteering

Volunteer in the News

March 30, 2015 Primiano Leave a comment

A vital aspect of PACT’s success in teaching life skills to those with autism and other disabilities is in recruiting typical peers from our community to volunteer as peer mentors as they participate in the workshops as equals with the group. Kiarlo (Kia) Ednalino is one of those volunteers.

Kia recently wrote an article about her experience volunteering with PACT, part of which was published this week in the Encinitas Advocate (see page A13 after clicking the link). We are very proud of Kia and appreciate all she has done to enrich the lives of everyone at PACT.

In her own words:
It is said to, “Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher. Life is already filled with those who want to bring you down.” The participants, their families, teachers, and fellow volunteers of PACT do just that. In this environment, we all lift one another up. We support ideas. We foster growth. We create a community and build friendships. About a year ago, I came across an article in the newspaper detailing Positive Action Community Theatre (PACT) and the wonderful things they provide for children, teens, and adults with special needs in the community and I knew that I had to be a part of it.

I have a BA in Liberal Studies with a depth of study in Arts and Education, a Visual and Performing Arts Minor from CSUSM, and am on the road to obtaining my Special Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials. As a future educator and advocate for the arts, I greatly value the importance of an inclusive education and greatly appreciate what this organization seeks to do each and every day. Through my time volunteering with PACT, I have seen their programs serve as a vehicle for growth for children, teens, and young adults on the Autism Spectrum and other special needs. It is so uplifting to see the “lightbulb” go on for students or for them to develop comfort in trying something that would have previously been unthinkable: flexibility in routine, improvement in spatial relations and/or eye contact, or willingness to participate in interpersonal communication.

IMG_8568b My experiences with performing arts in the past has shaped me into the person I have become and there are many characteristics and skills that I can attribute to being a part of performing arts. So, it fills me with immense joy to see a different community benefit from art just as it has benefitted me. Whenever I have the privilege of experiencing art, like I do with PACT, I am the student, learning once again. It teaches me to be mindful of others because we are all just trying our best, each and every day. It teaches me to take risks and to not be afraid. It teaches me how to build and foster a safe and inclusive environment in which art is shared, personal discoveries are made, and success can present itself in many different ways. PACT beautifully empowers its participants to come out of their shell and into a community where they can display their talents, creative genius, and potential to create.

Contact Kathryn Campion, PACT Executive Director, if you would like to volunteer at our theatre and/or performing arts programs.
760-815-8512 info@pacthouse.org www.pacthouse.org