While most clubs advocate inclusion, the I am Norm Club goes a different route in getting there by using reverse inclusion. This is where regular education students are brought into special education classrooms, while inclusion brings special education into regular classrooms.

The president of I Am Norm, senior Chloe Hunter, talks about how inclusion should be a school’s objective.

“I believe all kinds of inclusion benefits all students and should be an essential part of our school culture,” Hunter said.

I Am Norm is dedicated to celebrating diversity, and anybody is welcome to join.

“Sometimes we go outside and play with chalk or we blow bubbles and sometimes we bake cookies or brownies,” Hunter said. “We just have fun together as a group.”

Around Valentine’s Day, they start practicing line dances such as “Cupid Shuffle” and “The Electric Slide” for the ICAP dance in February, which will take place at Vista Ridge this year. This dance is where all the ICAP classes in the district meet up to dance and have fun. Last year there was a photo booth and food and I Am Norm gets to be a part of that.

“The Valentine’s dance last year was so unique,” Hunter said. “To just watch everyone interact and to just be high school students seeing inclusion in action and it working, and everybody just having a good time, it was such a pure, eye opening experience.”

If you are a sweet, kind, patient person, as described by Hunter, wanting to go in and spend some time with some fellow classmates, you can use the DEN portal to sign up for Brenda McCall’s DEN in AW 102 on Fridays.

“I think the overarching idea of I Am Norm is to celebrate diversity in all forms, promote inclusion and to have a good time,” Hunter said.