CHP Family Services Honors as 'Rising Star' in SBCOC Women in Leadership Awards

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— Rania Markham, CHP Family Services care coordinator and a passionate advocate for families of children with disabilities, has been named a "Rising Star" by the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Women in Leadership Award.
 
Markham was among 111 women nominated for an award. She was honored at the Women in Leadership Luncheon on March 8 in Great Barrington.
 
"Rania has transformed her family's very personal experience with autism into professional advocacy and outreach by bringing an array of supportive connections to families like hers," said Richard Gregg, interim CEO of CHP Berkshires. "Rania is a true advocate in the best spirit of CHP, and we are proud to support her courage in developing an entirely new program here at CHP Family Services."
 
Markham leads a weekly online special needs support group for parents and caregivers, and she organizes activities and playgroups for families of children with disabilities. She has also developed "IEP 101," an online training for parents navigating special education programs in public schools.
 
She is also offering a Special Kids, Special Diets for parents to discuss picky eaters. She has also established the Autism Awareness Walk to raise emergency funds for families. 
 
Markham is completing her master's in social work at Simmons University and earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Westfield State. She has worked for CHP for the past 10 years, assisting Family Services clients at risk of homelessness and food insecurity. Her son Zachary was diagnosed with autism in 2019. 
 
"I am honored by this Women in Leadership award, and I'm grateful for a community that honors hard-working women," said Markham. "I am empowered by the recognition, but it doesn't feel like work when you love what you do, as I do."

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Simon's Rock Awarded Freedom to Read Grant

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Bard College at Simon's Rock was awarded a Freedom to Read Grant by the Newburger Schwartz Family Foundation. 
 
The grant was awarded to support the Alumni Library and Bard Queer Leadership Project in building a more robust collection of queer scholarship, starting a Queer Book Club, and hosting Drag Story Time events in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires.
 
According to a press release:
 
In response to current educational threats with book bans affecting schools and libraries across the country and further proposed legislation against LGBTQ+ people's access to basic rights and education, Simon's Rock is actively seeking to create inclusive and equitable spaces for queer individuals. 
 
The Bard Queer Leadership Project and Alumni Library will utilize the grant funding to expand the library's current collection of queer books in order to fully enable the longevity of the Queer Book Club and the Bard Queer Leadership Project. The Queer Book Club will be an intergenerational space, open to local middle school students through rainbow seniors and will partner with local community organizations, to discuss queer books and learn about LGBTQ+ issues and experiences. Bard Queer Leadership Project students will eventually help lead this initiative as part of their leadership project training. 
 
The Queer Book Club will host their first meeting on April 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Alumni Library, with following meetings on April 27 and May 11. This semester, the selected books are "Obie is Man Enough" and "He/She/They," both by Schuyler Bailar, inspirational speaker and first openly transgender NCAA Division swimmer, who was a guest speaker in the inaugural Queer Leaders Vision Forum in fall 2023 at Simon's Rock. Schuyler Bailar will return to campus for a book signing and pool party at the Kilpatrick Athletic Center on April 19 at 7:00 p.m. Participants in the Queer Book Club will receive a free copy of either book of their choice. 
 
The first Drag Story Time will be on Saturday, March 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Simon's Rock Alumni Library and is open to all LGBTQ+ affirming individuals. The event is in partnership with Drag Story Hour of the Berkshires with local drag queens JV and Poppy DaBubbly. The second Drag Story Time will be Saturday, April 27 with drag queen Poppy DaBubbly and drag king Sativo Green.
 
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