08/07/2024 -
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter, the Common Ground Society and Sonoma County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) have jointly named Amanda Carlile of Santa Rosa as the first recipient of the Champion of Inclusion Award.
Common Ground Society Executive Director Larkin O’Leary presents Amanda Carlile with the Champion of Inclusion award on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, during a Sonoma County Board of Education meeting at the Sonoma County Office of Education
The award, presented by the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE), Common Ground Society, and Sonoma County SELPA, recognizes Carlile’s advocacy for students who receive special education services. Carlile, who will soon begin her senior year at Montgomery High School, works passionately to ensure these students are seen, celebrated, and included in campus activities around Sonoma County and at Montgomery, specifically.
Carlile, the president of Montgomery’s Best Buddies program, which supports students who receive special education services, was recognized at the Sonoma County Board of Education’s regular August meeting.
“The care and passion Amanda displays at school and with the Common Ground Society is the embodiment of educators’ focus on making sure all students feel a sense of belonging,” Carter said. “She has without a doubt made a difference in the lives of countless Sonoma County students and families.”
Carlile first got involved with the Best Buddies program as a freshman at Montgomery, she said, and from there went on to work at summer camps and other events for students who receive special education services and their families.
It was at one of these camps where she met Larkin O’Leary, executive director and co-founder of the Common Ground Society, the Sonoma County-based nonprofit that advocates for students who receive special education services. O’Leary’s son, James, has Down syndrome and was a participant in the camp.
“She comes and creates a space where everybody feels like they belong,” O’Leary said during the board meeting.
Some of the events Carlile has helped facilitate or plans to facilitate are cooking classes, baseball, the Best Buddies prom, and a New Year’s Eve party at Epicenter in Santa Rosa. She also volunteers with the Common Ground Society, coordinating activities and spending time with students so that their family members can access resources and support.
“You never know how much one interaction can affect their whole life,” Carlile said. “It’s so rewarding to work with these kids.”
From left, Deputy Superintendent of Special Projects John Laughlin, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter, Sonoma County Board of Education Vice President Gina Cuclis, Board President Andrew Leonard, Amanda Carlile, Common Ground Society Executive Director Larkin O’Leary, Sonoma County SELPA Executive Director Elizabeth Engelken, Kristy and Rick Carlile, and Sonoma County Board of Education Members Herman G. Hernandez and Dr. Steven Herrington pose for a photo on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, at the Sonoma County Office of Education.
