Community Solutions Program: Dace Ikauniece

Posted on 11/07/24 by Isabel in LEAP Spotlight!

Meet Dace Ikaunice, our Community Solutions Fellow from Latvia! She joined our team in August 2024 and is here until December 2024. In the short time she has been with us, Dace has already made a significant and lasting impact on our community.

What's the Community Solutions Program (CSP)?

The Community Solutions Program (CSP) is a year-long professional development program with a four-month fellowship sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Dace was selected as a fellow for the 2024-2025 program, which supports engaged civil society leaders from across the globe. As part of this program, she will be at LEAP for four months, collaborating on community initiatives.

She was among over 11,000 applicants from 104 countries. Of those applicants, the 2024-2025 Community Solutions Program only selected 76 fellows to participate.

While studying in the United States, Dace focuses on developing crucial services for young people with disabilities to integrate them into society.

Her focus is critical because "In Latvia, around 10% of the population has a disability. However, only 26% of people with disabilities are employed", says Dace. With this in mind, Dace is working to change this statistic with her home organization, Apeirons.

About Apeirons

Apeirons opened in 1997. It operates as a public, non-government organization or NGO. The organization takes an inclusive approach by including people with disabilities and their friends. Its goal is to integrate people with disabilities into society.

It is an association of individuals with disabilities and their friends who are always on the move, constantly developing new ideas and creating the desired model of society.

Dace's Professional Journey

Education

In 2006, Dace graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Latvia.

Two years later, in 2008, she received her Master's in Social Sciences in Public Management at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the University of Latvia.

Work Experience

Dace has devoted her career to social services for 20 years.

From 2004 until 2018, she worked for the Social Services of Riga Municipality in multiple roles. During her time there, she grew within the organization, serving at various levels, such as working as a social worker, head of multiple centers, and head of the district department.

Next, Dace became the Head of Social Service of the municipality of Ikšķile district from 2018 to 2022. She served in this role until her district joined Ogre's district during a district reform. However, this did not stop Dace from doing the work she loves.

In 2022, she became a project manager and board member of the NGO TEPAT and KOPĀ, meaning "here and together." Then, in 2023, she joined Apeiron as a social worker and project manager. In 2023, applied for the Community Solutions Program. Now, in 2024, she added LEAP to her journey.

Awards

In 2024, Dace won the Best NGO Social Worker award in 2023. Congratulations, Dace! We are not surprised.

Get to Know Dace on a Personal Level

Dace lives in Ikšķile, Latvia, with her husband, Mārtiņš, and their two daughters, Ter�"ze and Madara. Their home is about 18.5 miles from Riga, the country's capital.

The Ikaunice family has a flourishing garden with tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, peas, corn, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, and cherries, to name a few in their backyard.

When Dace is not tending to her garden, she loves traveling and hiking. Her favorite travel destination is Tatry, Poland, to hike the beautiful Tatra Mountains while taking in the breathtaking scenery. She enjoys hiking along the Baltic Sea when she cannot make the eight-hour drive.

Fellowship Highlights & Surprises

Professional

"I was surprised by the independent living mindset. In Latvia, it's more traditional. There, people without disabilities think they know better about what people with disabilities need. Here, you have all these services that remove barriers that make people with disabilities more free to access the world. I understand it's not perfect, but compared to Latvia there are more steps forward." - Dace.

"I was also surprised by youth transitions into adult life. You prepare them to live independently with job coaches, support, and classes to live independently and get jobs. In Latvia, youth with disabilities kind of disappear into their families. They do nothing in their homes or maybe go to a daycare center. Latvia's government does not prepare youth with disabilities to live independently in society." - Dace.

"I recently discovered the universal design for learning. We each have a unique way we learn information. The universial design for learning is more inclusive not just for people with disabilities, but for everyone. All these things and ideas I want to bring back to Latvia to inspire others to make inclusive, accessible change." - Dace

Personal

"I was amazed by how kind and welcoming everyone was. We connected so quickly! All of the girls in the Community Solutions Program have a group chat. Many of them are struggling with their matches because they are not getting the support they need. I am very thankful for my perfect match with LEAP. I also really love Cleveland. It is very similar to Latvia and Riga with the landscape and seasons. The only thing missing is my family and my colleagues." - Dace.

"I got to fulfill my wish of going to Niagara Falls with my roommates who are also fellows in my program. Living with my roommates, Sarah and Adah, allowed me to learn about African cultures. Sarah is from Libera and Adah is from Zambia." - Dace

Thank you for making the trip to Cleveland to work with us. We are truly grateful for your contributions and the impact you've made in such a short time. Your dedication to improving the lives of people with disabilities is inspiring. We enjoy having you in the office and wish we could have you for longer! You are always welcome here.

Great work, Dace!