Meet Anitra Rowe Schulte
Anitra Rowe Schulte has been a fan of The Nora Project for several years. Her oldest daughter Elsa participated in TNP through their local elementary school, and Anitra often shares that the experience was ‘life-changing’ for the entire family. Today, we’re excited to share that Anitra will be supporting TNP as our Parent Programming Coordinator!
In this role, Anitra will help TNP provide information and resources about disability rights and advocacy to all parents. She’ll be supported by a diverse committee of parents--disabled and nondisabled parents, parents of kids with and without disabilities, and parents with an array of perspectives and lived experiences. Her mission will be to create a broad coalition of parents committed to a more inclusive world, and to provide materials and opportunities to support all parents as they teach their children about disability and disability rights, self-advocacy and peer allyship, and the benefits of diverse relationships. When asked what she’s most drawn to as she takes on this role, Anitra shared “I’m thrilled that I’ll be working alongside parents as they advocate for inclusion in their children’s schools and communities. What an opportunity and privilege, to play a pivotal part in enacting meaningful, necessary change.”
In reflecting on her own experiences with TNP, Anitra said “My sister introduced me to TNP about five years ago, after seeing it featured on the news. At that time, I was hungry for a way for my daughter to connect with her peers in our community. Our mere presence seemed to spur so much hesitancy and discomfort among those we didn’t know.”
She goes on to add “The relationships that my daughter has created within our community, through TNP, have created a warm and loving environment for our family.” Anitra shared more about these experiences in a blog post for TODAY Parenting Team.
Looking for support as you navigate conversations about disability? Explore the resources currently available in our resource library and be on the lookout for even more from Anitra and TNP’s parent education task force in the near future!
Anitra Rowe Schulte is the Parent Programming Coordinator for The Nora Project. She is also the author of the picture book DANCING WITH DADDY, illustrated by Ziyue Chen, which received the 2022 Dolly Gray Award for its effective and enlightening portrayal of an individual with developmental disabilities in a picture book. Anitra discusses disability, inclusion and creative writing in author presentations in elementary schools across the country. For more information, visit www.anitraroweschulte.com.