Here's one of the talks given in the Ruby community from the lemurs:
https://medium.com/@baweaver/creating-reducing-enumerable-an-illustrated-adventure-c6adfcc30d5b
It was given at Southeast Ruby and will be given this year at RubyConf.
There's another special edition talk planned for Christmas at WaffleJS and maybe Fog City Ruby:
You may have heard of the lemurs, but not of their adventures outside of Ruby. How did lemur stickers become a symbol of hope for parents, teachers, and those facing mental challenges? Well it all started with a story.
You see, I’m autistic, and this is my story.
A year ago I started doing presentations with cartoon lemurs. A lot came of it, but there was something I hadn't anticipated.
I'd created lemur stickers, and some went to my mother, a Special Education teacher. The kids adored them, and as those stickers spread, so did a story. Parents asked about the lemurs, and through them they found hope.
You see, I'm autistic. To some like me, it's a curse, and to parents a nightmare of a future in flux. Will their child ever be successful? Will they be able to live a normal life?
To them the story of the lemur has become a symbol of hope, and I'm here to share that story with you.
As I mentioned in the abstract, I'm autistic, asperger's syndrome to be precise. This has presented me with some difficulties growing up, but has given me tools with which to help others. I want to spread a story of hope, that mental illness can't stop you, and that your story matters to others.
My mother is a special education teacher, and frequently has conversations with parents over whether or not their autistic children have a future. My story has been used to give those parents the hope they need to keep fighting.
The thing is though, mine isn't the only story out there. I want to encourage others to use their pasts to build a brighter future through mentorship, donations, scholarships, and investments in the next generation.
Be the hero you needed as a child, because chances are there's a child out there who needs one just like you.
Everyone, no matter what the level or title, even those with no technical experience whatsoever.
This talk will give tools for sharing your stories, getting involved in your local school districts, and helping out through whatever means are available to you.
- Meet Red the Lemur
- Adventures taken
- Reducing Enumerable
- An Illustrated Guide to Ruby
- Scaling Christmas
- Zines
- Adventures taken
- ...and then they spread
- Mother and sister are teachers
- Kids started wanting lemurs
- Incintives, prizes, games
- Parents started to hear the story
- Hope for the future
- Kids started wanting lemurs
- Mother and sister are teachers
- The story
- A kid who was always out of place, never knowing where he belonged, trying to make his way.
- The heroes of this tale
- A 4th grade teacher who rebuilt confidence
- An 8th grade teacher who inspired his art
- A coach who pushed him
- A tech teacher who taught him
- A language arts teacher who believed in him
- A mentor who guided him
- The heroes of another story
- You're the heroes of the next generation
- Your stories matter
- Kids need inspiration from people like them, be that person. Be who you needed when you were younger
- Heroes need help!
- Donating
- Scholarships
- Mentorship
- You're the heroes of the next generation
- Our duty
- We have been given much so that we may build the next generation
- Send the ladder back down however you can
- Closing
- Be the hero you needed as a kid, because chances are there's a kid who still needs one.