About Can Do!

A closer look...

Can Do! was founded, created and launched in October 1997 by ability awareness educator and school counselor, Maribeth Bush. Since then, through evergrowing grassroots support, Can Do! has reached and inspired children, teens, and adults in over 16 countries around the world. The Can Do! community includes students, teachers, school counselors, scout leaders, social workers, parents, grandparents, friends, artists, authors, and members of other organizations and businesses that support and share Can Do!'s mission.

The overall mission of the Can Do! is to help people, especially kids, develop a more positive attitude and perspective about themselves and the people in the world around them. Can Do! works toward this mission by using "ability awareness" to help kids focus on what they each CAN do... regardless of their challenges. In essence, Can Do! is dedicated to helping children reach their unique true potential by fostering a proactive, "can do" attitude that helps expand their vision of possibilities within themselves, in others, and in their futures.

Can Do! encourages the celebration of individual differences and the abilities we all have.

Can Do! Kids
A fun place for kids of all ages to explore and learn. The Can Do! Kids page has activites, resources, and creative ideas for kids that will help them discover and appreciate all the many things they and others CAN do!

The Treasure Chest
In the Can Do! Treasure Chest you'll find:

recommended reading;
book lists;
web links;
Can Do! Journeys (inspirational Can Do! stories submitted by Can Do! visitors);
The Can Do! Lunchbox (lesson plans & other resources for educators);
and other forms of inspiration.

Be an active lifelong-learner by visiting and participating in The Can Do! Treasure Chest, a place that will help you discover "anything is possible".

About the Artwork eli - a boy who is blind using a white tipped cane a girl named sophia may - a girl who is in a wheelchair paisley - a girl who is has an oxygen tank sam - a boy who is fishing
Most of the wonderful illustrations on the Can Do! website, including the whimsical Can Do! Kids featured here, on top of the "welcome" page, and on the Can Do! Kids page, were created by author/illustator Peter H. Reynolds. I'm honored to be able to collaborate with such a magical artist and educator, and I am grateful to Peter for his magnificent creative contributions to the Can Do! web site. Thank you, Peter!

If you'd like to learn more about Peter's work, check out The Official Peter H. Reynolds website, or visit the website of his media company, FableVision.

Can Do! is a "Bobby Approved" Web Site
Bobby is a free service of the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) that will analyze single web pages for their accessibility to people with disabilities. To learn how you can make your website more accessible to individuals with disabilities or to get your website Bobby Approved, click on the "Bobby Approved" icon.

A Sampling of the Recognition Can Do! Has Received

E-mail Maribeth with questions, comments, suggestions, or for more information.