Advocate Rena Rosen to speak on 'Art of Compassion: The Courage to be Kind' April 9
McHenry County College will host renowned public speaker Rena Rosen, who will present "Art of Compassion: The Courage to be Kind" from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, in the Luecht Conference Center, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake.
Rosen was born with craniofrontonasal syndrome and will talk about how people can create a higher level of acceptance, appreciation and understanding of all differences.
A meet-and-greet will be held in the Scot Room, B177, immediately following the presentation. Refreshments will be served.
The event is sponsored by the MCC Autism Awareness Club.
Rosen is the author, along with Jenny Levin, of the 2017 book "The Courage to be Kind: Who Will You Be Sam or Ellie?," which teaches children and parents how to act and respond when they see someone who looks different. Learn with Sam and Ellie as they encounter and interact with several kids in different ways. Ellie is blunt and often offensive. Sam tries to find common ground with each person and provides an example of how to behave.
The dramatization of each difference includes photographs and a list of frequently asked questions so kids and parents can learn about various syndromes together. Through a series of scenarios, "The Courage to Be Kind" offers a tool to facilitate conversations about kindness and to teach with the art of compassion.
Rosen is a full-time preschool teacher, a photographer, and an entrepreneur who happened to be born with a cleft lip and palate along with other craniofacial abnormalities that fall under a craniofacial syndrome. Growing up, she never felt different because her friends and family treated her like they would anyone else. However, she did look different, and society noticed. The stares did not bother Rosen when she was younger. It was not until she was old enough to realize and the "hello" wave had stopped working. This began to affect her self-esteem.
After her last surgery during college, she decided it was time to speak out and bring a higher awareness and appreciation for physical differences and the experiences that come along with those differences.
Through her photography, she put together an exhibition that beautified and normalized the physical anomalies that redefine perfection. The positive response she received was the push she needed to go even further, and that is where "Art of Compassion" was developed. Rosen took her goal of spreading kindness and awareness on the road through workshops and talks, along with friends she met on the journey, and discovered a greater community of children with craniofacial abnormalities.
To learn more about the book, visit www.archwaypublishing.com.