January 2011 - Allegheny West Magazine

STORY AND
PHOTOS
SUBMITTED
T
elevision host Art Linkletter had a popular show in the 1960s called
“Kids Say the Darndest Things.” If you’ve ever spent any time
around kids, you know that they also sometimes say some of the
most brutally honest things, which can inadvertently lead to hurt
feelings, misconceptions, and anger.
The Early Learning Institute (TELI) recently teamed up with the
Pittsburgh Pirates to help children understand the many difficulties
people with physical and mental disabilities go through on a daily basis
and how to ask questions about others in a constructive way.
Chaz Kellem, Manager of Diversity Initiatives for the Pittsburgh
Pirates, visited TELI’s Ohio Valley Learning Center in Kennedy
Township, to share with youngsters his life’s struggles from a rare
condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta that has resulted in more than
40 broken bones and 12 operations. His message was part inspiration,
part motivation - and all compassion.
Kellem, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, is accustomed to
having children stare, point, and ask blunt questions about why he
needs to be in a wheelchair. He uses his situation to help convey that
finding out about others makes us all more accepting and that
everyone, no matter what their level of ability is, can overcome obstacles
and reach their full potential. It’s a sentiment shared by TELI.
“Outreach programs such as these help break down barriers, dispel
myths, and expose kids at an early age to the idea of diversity and
tolerance and that we all are different in some way. Kids are curious
by nature and many times their questions about my condition may
seem blunt, but all they want to do is find out more about me, which
is a good thing,” said Kellem, who allowed TELI preschoolers to get
comfortable with him by taking them for rides in his wheelchair. “I
believe that many instances of one kid bullying another are because
there is a perceived difference between the two and the fact that the
kid doing the bullying doesn’t understand or accept someone else’s
physical, mental, and emotional characteristics.”
According to a new Harris survey of more than 1,100 families, 67
percent of parents of 3-7 year olds worry that their children will be
bullied, and parents of preschoolers and grade school-aged children
are significantly more likely to worry than parents of teenagers.
“TELI promotes acceptance and values differences in others as we
prepare our students for kindergarten, so we believe this program
with the Pirates was very important,” said Kara Rutowski, Executive
Director of Greentree-based TELI. “It’s never too early to educate
kids about caring and compassion.”
20 Allegheny West Magazine January 2011