CampAbility is a recreational and educational summer program for school-aged children with Autism and other intellectual/developmental/physical disabilities being provided in a fun and safe environment. We have 2 camps that happen for 6 weeks through the summer: kids camp for elementary students and youth camp for 6th - 12th graders. We also offer summer camp sessions to the elementary-aged siblings. This is in order to help alleviate the burden on parents by keeping their children in one location, as well as provide familiarity to the camper with special needs by having his/her sibling nearby and give the sibling(s) companionship with other siblings who understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes. The funds will be used to obtain reusable supplies for both camps, offset costs for local field trips, and two ESE facilitators who have professional experience with ASD as the lead teachers. It will also be available for qualifying families for scholarships.
Best Buddies Citizens Friendship program is an adult friendship program for individuals with IDD and those without who are 18 years old or older. One-to-one friendships include matching an adult with an IDD with a peer without an IDD. This buddy pair develops a friendship like any other and promotes a more inclusive world for adults with and without disabilities. Citizen members in North Florida currently participate in a monthly activity that includes a social outing, professional and personal development training, and a fitness-related activity. Citizens also equip participants to become leaders in our community. Grant funds will directly impact the continuation of the Citizens Program, which was launched in September 2021. Support will also empower the growth of the current Citizens Program by increasing program activities and training this year. We are actively recruiting new members with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities who are 18 and older to join this program. Citizen members will then be matched in one-to-one friendships between someone with and someone without IDD.
Since we do not currently charge for our riding participants, the HEAL grant will help fund our summer season which includes program, horse and instructor fees. Open House funds will be used for food and facility fees. The movie outing is now $600 each time which we will split the cost with Special Nation. Funds for the Caregiver Respite Events will be used for food, activities, and gift bags.
The BridgeHaven Community Day Program is a new, pilot program serving adults (ages 22-older) diagnosed with Autism in Northeast Florida. The program will provide much needed and meaningful work, social, and recreational opportunities for our members. Our program will launch in the Summer of 2022, and we are working to secure funding to support all facets of our operations. Specific funding is needed to purchase required equipment to begin our small business ventures. The small business ventures will serve as part-time work opportunities / job training for program participants. We are hoping to purchase machines, supplies, and technology through a HEAL Grant. Many of our adults and students struggle with social interaction. We are creating a social media platform for them to share their thoughts, dreams, and visions with the world like so many neurotypical individuals are able to do. Since autism can be very isolating, our adults are going to plan and implement recreational opportunities for the autism community like dances, game and food truck nights, etc.
Connecting thru Music, Inc is a 501c3 established in 2018 for the purpose of providing music therapy and music enrighment for children with special needs in NE Florida. Currently CTM is providing service at over a dozen schools and settings thanks to both grant and community support. We have identified a critical need for our services in the DCPS Extended School Year (ESY) for children with special needs. We know that without repetition and reinforcement, this vulnerable population is subject to learning loss over the summer. Our goal is to provide music therapy support the foundation of learning and address developmental needs. DCPS is not able to provide funding for art or music during summer sessions. The funds will be used to provide music therapy by board-certified music therapists and music experiences by music teachers. This occurs for 30 minutes, three times/week for groups of 8 students at up to 4 sites: Neptune Beach Elementary, Mandarin Oaks Elementary, Oak Hill Elementary and Palm Avenue which all serve ESE students and are holding ESY sessions this summer for 4 weeks. A grant of $5000 would provide 100 music therapy sessions, impacting up to 80 students.
Smile Camp is a week-long day camp run by Girl Scouts, for boys and girls ages 5 to 11 with autism and other developmental and intellectual disabilities including cerebral palsy, TMH (trainable mental handicaps), EMH (educable mental handicaps), spina bifida, and visual and hearing impairments. Smile Camp offers campers with disabilities, who might not have the opportunity otherwise, to experience a week of new friends, outdoor adventure, and a sense of belonging in an inclusive environment. Smile Camp 2022 is being held at North Florida School for Special Education, a site designed to be an accessible and safe space for Smile Campers. Smile Campers will have access to the barn and animals at the school for a farm themed day, as well as the playground, gym equipment, and outdoor spaces. Each day at Smile Camp has a new theme with corresponding activity rotations, including games, crafts, music, and outdoor activities. Smile Camp gives children living with autism and other disabilities a break from their day-to-day routine and brings them outside for an entire week of new experiences. The camp also provides much needed respite care for the camper’s parents and care takers. The camp is run by as many as 40 Girl Scouts who are trained counselors ages 14 to 18. Supporting them is a team of up to ten Girl Scout directors ages 16 to 18 and Girl Scout adult volunteers including two adult advisers, a registered nurse and a chef. Depending on the intensity of care needed, counselors are paired 1:1 or 1:2 per camper.
Grant funds will help cover the cost of camp for parents in need of a reduced weekly rate. This will allow families to sign up for camp and/or for families to enroll in more weekly camp sessions.
At our original Growing Together Behavioral Center campus we are honored to be entering our fifth school year in August. At this location we have been gifted with many amazing donations through these years, but one area where we still struggle through our hot months is our backyard. We have a fenced backyard with swings and other playground equipment, but you can't spend more than 10 minutes out there without overheating from the direct sunlight and lack of shade.
Growing Together Behavioral Center Mandarin is a non-profit school for children and teens with autism and other developmental disabilities. At this campus located in the heart of Mandarin, we have our hands-on functional and pre-vocational program for teens who have autism ages 13 - 22. The goal of this program is to prepare our students for their place in this world as adults, and to help them become the most active participants in our amazing community that they can be! This summer we will begin our horticulture therapy and Farm to Table learning! The entire summer will revolve around getting our hands dirty in the earth, planting, watering, growing, cooking, sharing and eating! For some this will be a new sensory experience and fun activity outside in the fresh air and in our beautiful kitchen, for others it may be the blooming of a future career interest in horticulture or culinary arts! Being able to expose our students to theses two amazing arts/therapies will be the beginning of a new pre-vocational project at GTBC, one we plan to keep going into the upcoming school year!
3 day junior golf camp July 11, 12 & 13 from 9am - 12pm each day while juniors learn the basics of golf from putting, chipping and full swing. We also spend time learning about Golf Course maintenance and the nature we see on a golf course. We think it is important to incorporate fun activities for both social and physical well being.
Henderson Haven, Inc is seeking funds to support our 7 week Camp Possible and its FunDay Friday activities - experiences often overlooked for our students in a fun environment while promoting age-appropriate social skills. During camp, students will work on targeted social, academic and life skills. We will utilize community resources and volunteers to enhance the experience. Our summer programs will give us the chance to reach more kids and families and help them begin this fun and amazing journey to ignite passions for recreational fun that carry over into the rest of the year. Programs will be available for students ages 3 to 22 years old.
Our request is for Scholarship funds for our autistic patients who can not afford the cost of care. Hope Therapy started as a dream shared by Marianne and Rebecca (Becky) Davenport, a mother-daughter team with a desire to help others. Marianne, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and Becky, an occupational therapist, both with extensive horse experience, founded Hope Therapy in 2001. Their commitment to high quality services and excellent programs led Hope Therapy to become the only Premier Accredited Center in Northeast Florida by meeting the high standards set by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.). Throughout the years, they have maintained this accreditation by continuing to meet the standards and passing on-site inspections.
Nestled in Middleburg, FL, the farm is a serene 12-acre property with a wheelchair accessible mounting ramp, outdoor riding arena, and a sensory trail for our clients. In our riding arena, you will find colorful cones, a basketball hoop, letters, and a ring-toss game. The sensory trail has ground poles, barrels, and many hidden surprises, waiting to be found by our clients. To best set our clients up for success, we have adaptive equipment, such as loop ladder reins and activity boards. We also have picnic tables and Adirondack chairs for our client’s families to enjoy as they watch their family member’s sessions. Sessions are individualized and typically one on one with our occupational therapist or therapeutic riding instructor.
This year we will have our 2nd Breeder's Cup Summer Camp for 10 kids with ASD as well as other disabilties. Each camper will pay $300/week to participate in daily activities 3 days/week that are run by our clinical team of PT's, OT's, and speech therapists. Camp will run from 8:30-12pm, and activities will include hippotherapy, horse grooming, circle time to include literacy companion activities and melodic language processing activities, sensory play with arts and crafts, snacks, and games.
Grant funds will be used to provide art therapy scholarships and art supplies for summer programs.
We are league that provides opportunities for children and adults with disabilities/special needs to play baseball. The players and the organizers get great joy and benefit from participation in our league. We play in the spring and the fall. We are looking for funding for trophies and medallions. The grant will be used to purchase trophies and medallions. Medallions are given out at our opening day ceremonies and trophies are given out at our end of season banquets.
Jacksonville School for Autism (JSA) requests grant funding to provide students and their siblings the opportunity to experience a broad range of summer enrichment programs. In past years we have been gifted the opportunity to provide experiences including piano, music & art groups, zoo trips, movie experiences, and other community field trips. For most children on the autism spectrum, the abrupt change of a schedule that transitions from school to summer can be a challenge. To facilitate comfort in regards to this transition, JSA offers an intensive learning continuum along with a focus on physical activity and social fun during the summer months.
During our Intensive Summer Program we want to provide the opportunity for our 'campers' to engage in physical activities which will promote and provide motivation for them to become more physically fit and more active. To increase their strength, balance and movement, sensory processing ability, communications skills, social interaction skills, and self care skills as well as provide a tool to be used for positive behavior modification, we want to utilize the physical activities available to all at the "We Rock The Spectrum" gym. This location provides numerous ways for our 'campers' to become more active and hopefully this will carry through to their everyday life as well. New challenges will be available which promotes motivation to complete these activities at a high level which also increases our participant's confidence and feeling of accomplishment and well-being. Everyone likes to hear praise and "Good Job" and these activities will promote these opportunities.
Kids Connect Today offers social skills classes for children, teens and young adults. We serve ages 3 years old to 30 years old. Kids Connect Today would like to use grant funds to offer scholarships to families who would benefit from our classes but cannot afford them.
Mainspring Academy respectfully requests the consideration of HEAL Foundation of a grant in the amount of $2,030 for its Science Technology Engineering Art Math (STEAM/STEM) Summer Camp program. Your grant will enable us to provide four weeks of hands-on STEAM programming to help support the self-advocacy and social-emotional development goals specified in the individualized learning plans (ILPs) of each of our students with autism (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). Since 2015, Mainspring Academy has sought to provide quality, individualized education in a safe learning environment where children with intellectual and developmental differences can thrive. Research findings from various studies found in academic publications such as the Watson Institute, and Preventing School Failure, the Institute of Education Sciences; as well as empirical evidence from classroom-based music programs STEM Power! and STEMfinity on the application of STEAM curricula and activities to the learning plans of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and IDDs indicate significant improvements in the areas of motor skills, communication, social skills. The purpose of Mainspring’s STEAM Summer Camp is to help support and foster progress in the self-advocacy and social-emotional development goals specified in each student's ILP. By the end of summer, the objectives of incorporating four weeks of STEAM activities to all camp groups are to: increase the average rate of student participation; increase self-advocacy and social-emotional development; decrease the average frequency of aggressions, elopements, and interruptions during lessons; and increase the frequency of reciprocal interactions. STEAM activities incorporating science, technology, engineering, art, and math serve a host of benefits including the development of soft skills such as creativity, problem solving, and perseverance, and collaboration; increasing engagement and motivation; and personalizing students’ learning experiences. Mainspring teacher’s assistants and registered behavior technicians (RBTs) will consult with the school BCBA and teachers regarding baseline data and student goals, collaborate to develop a full hands-on STEAM curriculum, and construct evidence-based interventions STEAM projects, crafts, activities, and experiments specific to the developmental levels of each of our students. Observational data will be measured before, during, and after program implementation to determine progress in the project objectives, as well as to incorporate any necessary adjustments for continuation in future Intersessions and Camps. Mainspring Academy is the only school in Jacksonville that serves a high and diverse population of nonverbal students, language-impaired students, and students with moderate to severe profound diagnoses. Students in the STEAM summer camp program will have hands-on access to different building, problem-solving, and creativity projects which will promote stress management, improved communication, mobility, and social interaction. Grant funds will support one major camp-wide project per week in the STEAM Summer Camp program.
Mandala Family Wellness is a clinic that focuses on joining all disciplines of therapy to create a combination of innovative wellness and evidence-based practices to help each client achieve optimal health and well-being. The clinic partners with clients, family, teachers, physicians, and other community members to meet the needs of each client. Through individual child/adolescent/ adult therapy, family therapy, marital counseling, mediation, psychological testing, and parent education, Mandala demonstrates compassionate care through enrichment programs and services. Mandala is seeking to continue our sensory integration experiences for all clients and their families. These include our sensory garden, coping skills pathway, musical exploration and social games for this upcoming summer. During the summer, clients are encouraged to continue services with no disruption between school and summer scheduling. Activities are planned to focus on social skills, adaptive and community-based skills, functional living skills, communication skills, self-advocacy and self-esteem skills, as well as meet all individual sensory needs. Multi-sensory and physically engaging materials allow our learners to explore independently and with others, building personal confidence and building play and social skills with peers. The funds will be used to purchase materials and equipment that will aid in all students further developing and participating in social skills, play skills, and adaptive skills. Additionally, included are stepping stones for a mindfulness pathway to allow students to individualize and create a stepping stone. These stepping stones (concrete forms the students can decorate and imprint with their hand print) will create a pathway for the students to utilize outdoors. Students can use the mindfulness pathway for sensory breaks, self-regulation, and coping skills. Below are links to materials that aid in facilitating hands-on materials that are necessary for students to increase exposure to new resources and manipulatives.
Our program will be designed to inspire children and/or teens on the autism spectrum through immersing them within safe, intimate, small group sessions, aimed at focusing on their innate strengths. By drawing from each individual’s musical and non-musical strengths, and meeting them where they are emotionally, socially and developmentally, each of their areas of need, such as social skills, communication, behavioral self-regulation, sensory-motor impairments, speech/language skills, and attempting new skills, will be addressed. All sessions will be facilitated by a Music Therapist and a Music Educator. We will be engaging the participants in bucket drumming ensembles, bongo, frame, vibrational, conga & tongue drums, singing protocols, Prodigy Bells curriculum (teaches & reinforces the musical element of “pitch”), piano/keyboard skills, movement/dance, song writing/composition, improvisation and reading rhythmic notation. Pictures and videos of each child/teen will be taken and shared with their parents/guardians. Sessions will be two hours in duration, giving their parents an opportunity for either respite or to join in on our groups. Siblings will be welcome. We have partnered with several different ABA centers, and families (private homes) affected by autism, throughout Duval and Clay counties to ensure a safe space for our sessions to unfold. Grant funds will be used for provider implementation and facilitation of the 8 weekly sessions for two separate groups; one in the Orange Park/Ortega area, and the other in the Mandarin area (subject to change). All musical instruments and relevant equipment will be supplied by the Music Therapy Services, Inc., and/or their staff members. Securing funds for this program will provide professional Music Therapy sessions, conducted by highly experienced staff, at no cost to parents, many of whom are single parents, have more than one child in their home on the spectrum and/or medically fragile, and lack financial security. These parents have very limited personal time, and many of them are homeschooling their child(ren), for a variety of reasons. We hope to enrich the lives of families affected by autism by involving children/teens in success-oriented, inclusive music-based sessions, while gifting their parents the chance to experience some much needed personal time.
Peace of Heart Home is licensed for 6 residents, and offers respite for teens and young adults. Respite services provide us the opportunity to serve up to 3 community members daily. POHH has partnered with various internship programs and volunteers to help educate those from our community. The volunteers and participants express the program’s mutually beneficial design, as meaningful, lasting friendships have been formed.
Farm Enrichment Summer Camp will provide three 3 days a week camp in first week of the month for the months of June, July & August. Summer Camp will have 10-12 participants from the community to gather, share, socialize and experience field trips to themed camp weeks & destinations. So far, we have confirmed 100% participation of 11 special need individuals from our local community. Peace of Heart Farm Enrichment Program will use grant funds to expand the current operations of the Vocational Enrichment Program. The grant will allow accessibility to three 3 week, 3 day summer field trips to themed destinations to include shared transportation, supplemental staff support and supplies needed for successful camps. The Farm Enrichment Program is currently offered at no or limited cost to participants, and with the assistance of the HEAL grant, the program can offer a dynamic Summer Camp program offsite to further enrich the lives of those young adults in our community with autism.
Primarily we are seeking funding to expand our program in two ways. Foremost to increase the number of individuals we can serve and secondly, to diversify the types of experiences we can offer in both the social and experiential realm. Goal #1: Increase the number of individuals that we serve by 50%. Goal #2: Increase the program offerings to our young adults with disabilities by incorporating a visual arts and other media program, an ongoing theater arts program, and a dancing program. We would also like to expand enough to include woodworking or other industrial arts. The overarching goal is to reach as many individuals as possible, despite the ability to pay and provide them with social experiences with other clients their same age as well as provide job skills that will guarantee them some self-reliance and independence in their lives. To expand our offerings, we will need to partner with Atlantic Beach artists to teach painting, or art using 3-D media, continuing to have an ongoing relationship with Jax Players by the Sea, and work with local dance studios to introduce various types of dancing. We will need to connect with a nutritionist (to include mind/body connections) and other individuals to start a woodworking and industrial arts class. As you may know, our individuals progress at a rate that is difficult to measure in a very constrained timeline. We look for improvement in behavior, overall independence, a willingness to take directions, competency, and self confidence. All of which are difficult to quantitatively measure. However, once awarded the grant, we will collect job placement statistics, feedback from employers through surveys and interviews, as well as anecdotal evidence from parents and students on how PossAbilities Plus helped them improve their lives and the lives of their families. **Since many of our programs are volunteer-based, we want to consider the realistic sustainability of this model. We will need to solicit people that are willing to work for us long term on a salary basis. on a salary basis. Also, our programs utilize other programs that may rely on volunteers as well. We would have to pay for experts in dance, art, etc. to run these programs for us at a considerable cost that may not be met by thrift store sales or tea room reservations.
Our goal is to provide activities throughout the summer for individuals with autism. Our activities will include: Regular Wednesday night Friends Group gathering at Redeemer Church and other locations throughout the community including the beach, Peace of Heart, and Bit of Faith Ranch. This is a time for families to come together and enjoy community and learning about being followers of Christ. Once a month we will also celebrate the birthdays for that month and have Karaoke night. Special Nation at the Movies (partnering with Bit of Faith Ranch) - Third Saturday of every month up to 50 people can gather at the movies in a sensory friendly no hush private theater. Second Sunday Special Praise - full no hush church service with worship, sermon, and communion. This is a very special intimate time for the individuals we serve and their families to go to church where they find total belonging and acceptance. Two Social Gatherings – a dance for the entire family and a back to school event. The grant funds will be used to pay for half of the movie outings over the summer, gifts for birthday parties and special occasions, food, sensory items, supplies and staff for events and social gatherings.