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THE LAUNCH OF THE BRAD COHEN TOURETTE FOUNDATION, INC.
http://classperformance.com/foundation
Now accepting donations!

It’s official, The Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation, Inc. (BCTF) is up and running. I’m honored to announce that my Foundation has been established as a non-profit 501(c)(3). Donations can me made and they will be tax deductible.

The mission of the Foundation is to help those with Tourette syndrome follow their dreams to be successful in life. I have my own vision of where I’d like to see things go over the years, but for now I’d like to focus on raising money to help children with TS so they can go to camps like Camp Twitch and Shout. I don’t want to see one person denied from camp because of financial reasons. Camp scholarships will provide a way for children to attend these types of camps. My ultimate goal is to make camp a free for all children.

This is where you can help me challenge perceptions and embrace differences! Donate now to help me with this initiative!

Visit my temporary Foundation website at:
www.classperformance.com/foundation/

or

www.bradcohentourettefoundation.com

Choose a donor level that best fits your needs. You may donate online and a tax receipt will be sent to you via email directly after the transaction, or feel free to send a check to the address listed on the website.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
As the Foundation begins to grow, we are looking for some addition help with 1) Website design and development, 2) Grant opportunities, 3) Newsletter development, 4) Fund-raising ideas and helpers to organize, 5) Database development 6) Other ideas you have that could help us out. Please Share!

I have set my goals high and I know with your support the BCTF will make a difference. I’m really excited about this new project with the Foundation. As always, I appreciate all the support from my family, friends and those of you who believe in my story.

Look us up on Facebook too! Search for the group Brad Cohen Tourette Foundation, Inc. Help me spread the word! As always, thanks in advance for your support!

Cheers, Brad

From Front of the Class to Front of the Nursery!

For all of you who have followed me over the years, I have very exciting news to report. My wife, Nancy, is pregnant! We are expecting “Baby Cohen” to arrive around March 26th. Words can not express how excited we are to start our family with children.

For so many years, I have been an educator and worked with children. It has been so rewarding. But it was also nice to return those children to their parents each night. But now I’ll have my own that I won’t need to return to someone each night. As many people keep reminding us, life is about to change. And that doesn’t scare me one bit.

I’m ready for the challenge just like I have been ready for every other challenge in my life. Nancy and I both have great role models in our parents, my brother and the many friends and family who have kids. We are ready to embrace the idea of having a child with open arms and take it one day at a time. I know Nancy will be a great mother!

Nancy and I thank you for all the support as we enter the next chapter of our lives.

Cheers
Brad

My movie would have never happened if it wasn’t for Tim Shriver, CEO for the Special Olympics. Tim is the Executive Producer of Front of the Class. We met years ago during a speaking engagement in Connecticut. Click here for a great article about when Tim Shriver and I first met at the event. Tim is a great guy and Nancy and I have really enjoyed getting to know him and his family.

I know this has been a difficult month for Tim and his family as he lost both his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and his uncle, Ted Kennedy. Eunice was a pioneer in her own right as she was not only the sister to President John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Ted Kennedy but also the founder of the Special Olympics. Although many people knew her as the wife of Sargent Shriver, founder of the Peace Corp, Eunice did so much for this country and people as a whole. She stepped out into the world and told people it was ok to be different. We will no longer lock people up and hide them away if they are different. We will now appreciate differences and focus on one’s strengths, not their weaknesses. What started out a Camp Shriver in her backyard, eventually because what is now known as the Special Olympics which makes a difference for so many people.

Ted Kennedy made a difference also. It doesn’t matter what political background you come from, you must respect Ted for his passion and always believing in our country. The legacy he leaves behind is one that many Congressman live for.

It is on this day that I thank them for being the people they were…..people of passion and compassion for people who were a little different. And I think about Tim and his family during these tough times.

Feel free to share how people like Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Ted Kennedy have impacted your life in some way on my BLOG.

Cheers
Brad

Be sure to check out both the video above and the article link below on Camp Twitch and Shout and Brad Cohen. Again, we see that despite a child having Tourette Syndrome, they can still find success!

You can READ THE RELATED CNN STORY BY CLICKING HERE and learning more about the camp!

Also check out www.camptwitchandshout.com to learn more. We will be having this camp again during the summer of 2010. Dates have not been announced yet.

You can always find Brad’s book and movie Front of the Class to use as a resource in your homes and schools. Call your local libraries and tell them to order them now for your community.

Cheers
Brad

As we celebrate July 4th in the United States and think about our freedoms, it made me think about people I have been hearing from. Some have Tourette Syndrome, others have disabilities or weaknesses in life that cause challenges to them daily. Some of these challenges others notice while some are challenges that are on the inside.

How can we use our freedoms to help our situations?

1) Freedom of Speech:
I have always believed in being up front and honest about living with Tourette Syndrome. I have learned that educating others about why I make funny noises and weird faces makes my life easier and eases their concerns about why I’m doing what I do.

The hardest thing about living with TS is ignorance. It is the people that don’t know and don’t want to know about TS that make my life difficult. But once people know, then they can make the decision about how they want to handle the situation.

There are many movies and books like Front of the Class that can help children articulate to others about their situation.

How will you use your freedom of speech?

2) Freedom of the Press
In my life, the press has often been a vehicle to share my story. Yes, we know about the book and movie, but also in the form of newspapers, magazines, newsletters, Internet websites, news shows on TV and others. If it was my story or someone else’s story, education was happening. It is important to share both educational pieces as well as success stories. People need to know that they are not alone. The press and Internet has helped us in our cause.

How can you use the press to help share your story?

3) Freedom of Choice
It is important for you to choose successful situations. It may be a school, groups of friends, religious activities, or where to live. Success breeds success. So please put yourself in a win-win situation to help you and your family move forward.

What will your next choice be?

4) Freedom of Opportunity
Always remember that hope is your friend. Know you are not alone. Understand that there are others out there that are dealing with or having dealt with your situation before. Find the support you need in them.

Give yourself a chance to try new things and enjoy the things you have always done. Once you’ve figured that out, then excel at it. Celebrate your success. Then share that success with others as you pay it forward. Give others the same opportunities you have been given and the feelings you will receive can never be replaced.

What opportunities are you ready to embrace?

As Martin Luther King said “Let Freedom Ring!” I add to that “Let Freedom Ring Loud and Proud!”

Cheers
Brad

Camp Twitch and Shout and Brad were featured on CNN on June 13, 2009.

Learn more about Camp Twitch and Shout at www.camptwitchandshout.com

Cheers, Brad

Here is your chance to buy your very own signed copy of Front of the Class on DVD.

Click on this link to buy either a signed copy of the DVD, the book, or both. PayPal will be the payment of choice.

If you want a special message written, please email me ASAP after you place the order and I will take care of it.

We have heard that many Hallmark Stores were slow in getting copies of the DVD in. Hopefully your wait will now be over.

Front of the Class is the perfect gift for your child’s teacher, school, and friends. Take advantage of this before they run out. And don’t forget about the Teacher’s Guide that goes with it. I created this in partnership with the National Tourette Syndrome Association.

Cheers,
Brad Cohen

Click here to read the article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Click here to see the photos from the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Click here to see the article in the Athens, Georgia newspaper

Click here to see the piece on CNN

Click here to see Camp Twitch and Shout photos taken by Troy Burns from Karen Burns Photography.

It starts out as an idea, then a dream, and with a lot of hard work it becomes a reality. Camp Twitch and Shout
 just completed its 1st Annual overnight camp for children with Tourette Syndrome. During this week, 50 campers and over 35 volunteers had a chance to enjoy the Camp Will-A-Way location of Camp Twin Lakes. Although the camp is located about 1 hour outside of Atlanta, Georgia, people came from across the US to attend.

The children did swimming, drumming, nature, tree climbing, ropes course activities, climbing walls, zip lines, swinging from 50 feet in the air, and made friends with others who were very much like them.

At Camp Twitch and Shout, we wanted the kids to be treated like any other child. We didn’t focus on TS, we just allowed them to be kids.

This week allowed the children to gain independence, be risk takers, be social, and focus on their strengths. Overall, the week was a huge success.

I’m so excited that Jimmy Wolk, who played me as an adult in my movie Front of the Class was able to come volunteer for the week. The group was so excited to meet him.

A big thank you to Hailey my co-director and Tricia the head of the Tourette Syndrome Association of GA for all their hard work. An even bigger thank you to all of the volunteers who dedicated 1 week of their lives to make a difference for our children. And the biggest thank you goes to the campers and their families for trusting us with their kids at Camp Twitch and Shout.

We are already getting ready for next year so get your name on the list if you are interested in helping out in the summer of 2010.

If you are interested in making a donation to the camp to help us with camper scholarships and keeping our costs down, I’d love to chat with you.

You will be able to learn more about Camp Twitch and Shout at www.camptwitchandshout.com

Also find us on facebook or my website!

Enjoy these photos from Camp Twitch and Shout. Thanks to Troy from www.karenimages.com for most of the photos.

Cheers
Brad

I received an email from a parent of a child with Tourette Syndrome which hits on a huge issue: What’s the big deal?

Here is the letter:
My 9-year-old child was having (in addition to his usual tics) a pretty severe episode of eye tics (rubbing, rolling and blinking) that had been going on for a couple of weeks. His Dad and I were wondering how in the world he could see enough to get anything done!
I asked him one day how things were going in school – I told him that I noticed that he was having a lot of eye tics and that I just wanted to make sure he could see enough to get his work done and learn what he needed to learn.