Congratulations to Sarah Isaacs, librarian and project coordinator at the Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse, who is the Student Affairs/Women's Resource Center 2021 recipient of the Strive Awards Advocate Award. She holds a master’s degree in library and information science and has worked with children and families in a variety of libraries for 20 years. Since arriving at the EIC in 2012, she has worked hard to expand the resources available and raise awareness of this outstanding state resource.
Sarah was nominated by her colleague, Dr. Meghan Burke, who wrote, "Sarah is a perfect exemplar of this award. She directs the Early Intervention Clearinghouse (EIC) at UIUC. There, she supports over 20,000 families of young children with disabilities. In nearly all of these families, mothers fulfill disproportionately larger caregiving roles. Sarah supports mothers of children with disabilities in accessing needed resources for their families.
"With COVID-19, Sarah has gone above and beyond in supporting mothers of children with disabilities. For example, she spearheaded a program to provide iPads and hotspots to mothers of children with disabilities so they can access early intervention services via telehealth... notably, these families are disproportionately Latina mothers of children with disabilities. I cannot speak highly enough about Sarah's efforts and advocacy for gender equity, especially among mothers of children with disabilities. She is a shining star on our campus."
