Funds from the HEAL Foundation will go directly to assisting us with the operation costs of Angelwood Summer Day Camp. Angelwood Camp serves 175 campers, all living with intellectual and developmental differences (IDD’s). The goals of Angelwood Summer Day Camp are the children with IDD’s will experience a typical summer camp experience while their unique needs being met.

Grant funds will be used to pay for a portion of costs for 45 individuals to attend five field trips.

This camp spans 4 weeks allowing enrollment opportunities to many families that do not have access to typing as a form of communication during the school year for their children. We have incorporated meaningful activities, themes, community excursions, and opportunity to network with typers across the community for our campers.

Provides persons with physical, emotional and developmental disabilities life enriching experiences that promote health and wellbeing and help the campers gain independence and grow personally. The camp offers seven week-long, overnight summer camps. Technology has come to play a significant role in the lives of Campers with autism and other disabilities. Each week, Campers use devices such as the iPad to communicate. With them, Campers with autism can better communicate with their Buddies and camp staff.

The grant will be used to help offset the cost of curriculum they need to successfully launch the program with fidelity.

Flip Dog Yoga will use the grant funds allocated to offset the cost to the participants. Understanding the expenses parents endure when raising a child or children with disabilities, our main goal is to offer the program at no or little cost so that families are not burdened with the additional cost of yoga.

The grant will be specifically used to underwrite the cost of sending five children with autism to Smile Camp, ensuring no cost to their families.

The HEAL Surf Camp was held in Neptune Beach. 35 local kids on the autism spectrum participated in the camp. Each participant received individual instruction and the opportunity to surf, paddleboard, and ride in ocean kayaks. Each participant also received a camp t-shirt.

The goal of the HUG Golf Camp is to focus on teaching the game of golf to the juniors within the Autism Spectrum. The HUG program will be hosted at TPC Sawgrass and include physical fitness, history/rules, environmental stewardship and fundamentals of the golf swing.

Camp HOPE is based on a 1:5 student/teacher ratio and an estimated 50 students/week for eight 1-week sessions. Camp fees will cover staff salaries, field trip costs, materials and supplies, snacks 2x/day, outside guest presenters, a camp t-shirt, and secure transportation to and from outside activities.

Grant funds will be used to provide scholarships for our clients with autism who could not participate without financial assistance.

Jacksonville Miracle League provides opportunities for children and adults with IDD’s to play baseball, regardless of their abilities. A “buddy” system is used pairing players with an able-bodied peer. The buddy helps the players with batting, rounding the bases, and fielding. Monies will be used for the purchase of new uniforms and equipment.

The grant will be used to help support the school’s summer enrichment program, which includes piano/music, karate and yoga. Remarkably, many children with autism have been found to have extraordinary musical and artistic talents. Other experiences include trips to the zoo, surfing lessons, dolphin experience and other community field trips.

The grant will be used to cover transportation expenses for the summer camp field trips to an all-inclusive gym, Rock the Spectrum. The camp will provide the opportunity for children with autism a fun and motivational environment to help them in the areas of strength, movement, sensory processing, and communication.

Little Star Center serves as both a school and Behavioral Therapy Center. The school is offering a Summer School Program which incorporates an intense ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) but with some fun. The grant will be used to help fund some of the summer outings. These include Riverboat Cruise, Trolley Tour, Hands on Museum and more.

Camp Cummer is a week-long summer camp taught by full-time Museum Educators whose work is supported by the time and talent of dozens of volunteers. Camp Cummer is a fun summer camp that offers adventurous ways for children to grow by discovering art and person expression.

Scholarship and  Supervision Program - ACCEPTS, Inc  provides alternative communication training to youth and adults with autism  and related disabilities.  There are  two programs in which the grant will support: a Social Skills Typing Group  and The Scholarship and Supervision program.   The Social Skills Training Group will meet monthly, and allow  communicators the opportunity to type with one another.  In addition, it will provide an opportunity  for Facilitators and Coaches-in-training to work with new communicators in a  structured, supervised environment.    During the social skills group, facilitators will gain knowledge to  apply in facilitating current communicators.   The scholarship program runs on a 3 month cycle in which coaches are  supervised in training families how to use alternative communication methods,  such as facilitated communication.

Enrichment through Arts and Exercise - Weekly yoga sessions are  an excellent way to work on balance, skills, and proprioception while  strengthening muscles that may not be utilized on a regular basis.  The yoga instructor also works with our  teachers so these practices can be implemented on a daily basis to help our  students reach their maximum potential.

   Art Therapy is dedicated to making the healing power of art safe and  accessible to all. Our licensed therapist specializes in helping individuals  affected by autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, and trauma.  Our process-focused, holistic approach helps individuals of all ages and  abilities learn safe ways to express themselves, regulate emotions, work  through traumatic memories, and navigate sensory sensitivities.

Music Therapy and Music Experience - Provide two music therapy sessions and one music experience session per week to over 180 students at Neptune Beach Elementary and Mandarin Oaks Elementary.

Current Evaluation Technology Materials for AT Services - Assistive  Technology Services evaluates, trains, and implements technology for students  with disabilities in gaining access to their curriculum. Assistive Technology  refers to any "product, device, or equipment, whether acquired  commercially, modified or customized, that is used to maintain, increase, or  improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities."  

Sensory Room items

Sensory Room items

Indigo Vocational Art Center - Indigo Art  Therapy Studio is currently in the process of expanding our pilot vocational art program, Indigo Vocational, to be able to serve a larger number of  individuals with disabilities within our community by providing studio space,  art materials, and facilitation. Our goal is to be able to provide these  services at little or no cost to program participants.

JSA Staff Technology Project - At JSA, we follow an integrative model that blends  both academic and social elements.  Our  teachers and therapists require new, updated laptops and software that will allow them to monitor the progress of our students through their individual  learning programs. Technology is at the core of all student and program  management at JSA. Staff currently utilize a proprietary software system  which allows teachers to track and measure skill and behavioral targets as  well as implement and evaluate programs.

Social Skills  Classes - Kids Connect  Today provides social skills classes to children, teens and young adults with autism. Grant funds would be used to provide scholarships to families who cannot  afford these classes.

Art and Sensory Garden - Their art program provides students, of various exceptionalities, with many creative  experiences. Throughout the school year, students explore creative activities  such as, drawing, painting, sculptures with various materials, including  clay, weaving, photography and so much more. Every school year they like to present a new experience that most of the students may not have had before.  This school year, we would like the students to get involved and help build a beautiful  art and sensory garden that the whole school can enjoy.

Inclusive Enrichment Outings - Peace of Heart Community is a prototype residential group home (POHH) and an organic small  farm (POHF) in the heart of Palm Valley, FL.   Peace of Heart Home opened its doors to persons with non-verbal autism in January, 2019.  They provide  24-7 care for up to six residents; they currently serve four.  They also maintain a daily spot for respite so they can greater serve the needs of individuals with autism in our  community.  They are a prototype that offers supported typing.  They are the only group home in Florida giving non-verbal persons with autism a place of  belonging where they have a voice!  

The HEAL Foundation Workshop - Pine Castle  provides skills training and employment opportunities for adults with autism  and I/DD in on-campus workshops, and through partnership with local  businesses, and city and state employers. Our program fills a critical gap in  day training for adults with differences in the Jacksonville area. But even  meaningful activity in the various workshops can prove stressful for adults  with autism and I/DD, leading to “sensory overload”. Our urgent need is to  create “sensory rooms” in our workshops so that adult participants can take a  break when they are under stress and feel overwhelmed. These sensory rooms  will give adults with autism and I/DD the chance to rest, recover, and return  to their work or skills training. Additionally, new paint for the walls and  tables for the work projects will create a more inviting and welcoming  environment for productive work.

Field Trips to Celestial Farms and MOSH - We would like to  take our children and teachers on 2 field trips this year.  One would be to Celestial Gardens and the other to MOSH. Our grant proposal is requesting admission for each student and teacher, as  well as bus rental transportation on each of these trips. In past years, in order to take field trips, we would have to ask parents  to transport their child to and from the venue.  

Grants were provided for several programs/initiatives: Sensory Room items, The Fairy Garden-Phase 2 and the Panther Challenge Transition Academy

Weekly Friends Group - Special Nation is a faith based ministry for children and adults with autism and related  disabilities.  Special Nation hosts a  weekly 'friends group', a place where individuals with autism and their  families gather to fellowship, worship, and build community.  The founding principles of the program are  to presume each person's intelligence, acknowledge their right to  communicate, and provide an opportunity for a deeper understanding of  Biblical concepts.

Social Emotional Learning K-12 - The Broach School  is a non-profit, private school that works with special education students  from kindergarten to 12th grade. Our population of students range from ADHD  to Autism. Our students have a hard time regulating their emotions and  communicating the way they feel. Our goal with this project is to increase  their educational understanding on their social emotional needs through daily  instruction in Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The social emotional  curriculum will be used thirty minutes per day for all grade levels. The  material we are requesting to purchase aims to align for K-6th grade but we  feel the material is at a level that would meet all of our students' reading  levels and comprehension levels.

Communication and Social Skills & CSS Department

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