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.

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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.

We are a  Pre-K/early intervention site through Duval County Public Schools.  We currently have 67 students enrolled in 7  classrooms that service children between the ages of 3-5 with diagnosis  consisting of language impaired, ASD, and developmentally delayed.  We recently received SMART interactive TVs  to better assist with academic learning and are consistently in need of  supplies to support the need of our students.   We utilize visual supports as well as the most current research to  improve communication , although we are in need of more.  The grant will immediate effect the  teaching strategies, behavior modification, and overall growth of our  students.

School  Year Programming at the Ranch will include our Adaptive Riding Seasons, Open  Houses, Movie Outings, and Caregiver Respite Events.     Our School Year Adaptive Riding Seasons:    Current participants are invited to ride    during the school year months during our scheduled weekend and after school  programs.    Participants will have an equine assisted session which includes grooming  and riding with the assistance of a volunteer horse lead and sidewalker(s).  Our budding equestrians gain skills and confidence with every session.    Open Houses: This is open to the entire community which includes all  participants, their families , and potential riders, and other local autism  community groups. All are invited for a fun relaxing evening at the ranch.  Dinner served, horse grooming, golf cart rides and fun and games.    Movie Outings: Partnering with Special Nation, we host monthly private  movie viewings for our participants and their families. Up to 50    people will share one theater. Our guests are comfortable to enjoy the  movie however they want. Free to walk around, make noises, even dance if they  would like. It's a great opportunity for the population we serve to  experience movies    for perhaps the very first time. The cost has increased to $498 each time  because we would like to move to a bigger theater to serve more individuals.  This is one of our most popular    outings so we are committed to continuing this    opportunity.    Caregiver Respite Events: We have monthly gatherings for mothers who have  children/family members impacted by autism or related disabilities. We  alternate monthly between an evening out and a lunch. This is an opportunity  for moms to get together with other moms facing some of the same parenting  challenges. They can let their hair down and just enjoy being with others who  “get it.”

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 launched in August of 2022 and has gotten off to a tremendous  start!  Our vocational operations have  already seen orders and requests for business.  At this time, we are seeking specific  funding to purchase required technology and materials for our products – both  in the development and ready for distribution phases.  Our program requires the technology to  take, track, and manage orders, communicate with customers, and schedule our  workflow.  Our community members are  making soaps, candles, fragrances, specially designed coffee mugs / wine  glasses, and screen printing.  The  small business ventures serve as meaningful, part-time work opportunities /  job training for program participants.       Many of our adults struggle with regulation and enjoy working on tasks to  help keep their mind focused and body engaged while participating in  educational sessions.  Moreover,  individuals with Autism are often challenged with motor planning/control,  fine motor skill development, and hand-eye coordination.  Since opening the program in August,  identifying and implementing effective task engagers has been a focus and a  need for our program participants.  At  this time, we are seeking funding to purchase task boxes which help to  stimulate engagement and focus for our program participants, as well as  develop fine motor skills necessary for advanced vocational tasks.

Connecting  Thru Music has been providing music therapy and music enrichment for children  with Autism and related disabilities since 2019. We are requesting funding to  start a program at Landmark Middle School ESE program. We would like to start  in the PLA classroom which has 6 of the most severely handicapped students.  These students have primarily moved on from Neptune Beach Elementary School  (NBE) and have demonstrated great success and growth with the support of our  program which is evidenced by the data that we collect and feedback from  parents, teachers and administrators.

We are  Private School located in Orange Park that work and teach students that  struggle in the public school system. We also provide Behavior therapy  supports to help students work through their daily struggles. We have noticed  a need to get these kids interested in outdoor activities and crossing the  midline can be a struggle. Giving these students access to physical education  and different sports, including the fundamentals, will broaden their days and  teach them how important physical activity is in our lives. Our goal is to  get each student willing to participate in a daily form of physical  activity.    "Together we can change world"

Henderson Haven  is seeking funds to support our Free 2 Be Me School and After-School  Enrichment program and outdoor recreation activities.

HorsePlay  Therapy Center is the only nonprofit organization in Northeast Florida  offering a medical model of hippotherapy (physical therapy, speech therapy,  and occupational therapy on horseback) for children with special needs who  have diagnoses that include autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic  brain injury, sensory processing disorder, and genetic disorders.  Hippotherapy provides multiple benefits for children with special  needs  that include balance and  postural control, sensory input, and respiratory support for speech  production, just to name a few. The emotional connection that the horses  provide lead to improved confidence and social-emotional well-being in both  our children and veterans alike. Our innovative therapy for children and  veterans enhances traditional therapy by allowing participants to experience  a special connection- sensory and physical- with their horse and the nature  that surrounds them as they work towards their goals.     Should we receive the HEAL foundation grant, this money would go to  continued scholarships for our low-income families to participate in  hippotherapy services. At HorsePlay Therapy Center, no veteran or child is  denied the use of horses in their therapy services due to ability to pay.

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.

There’s  a generation of students enrolled at Jacksonville School for Autism (JSA) who  are quickly aging out of the more traditional school-based services of  academics and classroom curriculums, finding themselves transitioning into  new life circumstances, as young adults who suddenly have no official  financial support and/or professional services that they’re able to fully  rely on. By the age of 22 most assistance-based programs and scholarships are  no longer available, creating an alarming issue for these newfound young  adults, who are now dependent on their immediate families and caretakers for  getting the supports and services they desperately require.     Away from the halls of JSA and within the autism community at large there  is an entire generation of young adults without programs able to facilitate  the services, supports and/or placement they need as they begin aging out of  more traditional school-based services. This creates a tremendous demand for  systems and programs that can utilize the unique abilities that individuals  with autism possess, while establishing vocational enterprises that can  create systems which provide structure, purpose & much needed resource  for them to thrive.     At JSA we are attempting to do just that, by growing our program along with  the growth of our students and their unique needs, constantly adapting and  developing our services to fit their individual requirements. One way we’re  facilitating this growth is through ‘On Campus Enterprises’, one of such is  as an agro-business model we are developing that will allow their current  gardening therapy sessions to blend seamlessly into a vocational model which  will give them more access and control over their futures. The older students  will focus their gardening sessions on product development and tailor the  styles of gardening and growing that’s being facilitated to fulfill the  products that are being created. This on campus enterprise within the  gardening program will not only consist of weekly therapy sessions, but  monthly markets, workshops, trainings, community engagement & so much  more. It will focus on the vocational development behind production and  bringing products to market, including but not limited to, growing & harvesting,  cleaning, preparation and production, packaging, labelling, order  fulfillment, deliveries and shipping, stocking & preservation, etc.

Kids Connect  today offers social skills classes & clubs for children, teens and young  adults.

Mainspring  Academy respectfully requests a grant of $1,563.33 to enhance our sensory  room to improve outcomes for our 55 special education students. A review of  2022 Mainspring Academy student data shows Mainspring serves one of the  highest rates of students with moderate to severe diagnoses in Jacksonville.  80% of students are nonverbal, language impaired, or have a diagnosis of  mixed receptive-expressive language disorder. 74% of Mainspring students have  a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 58% of students have dual  diagnoses. 14% of students have a diagnosis of intellectual of developmental  delay (IDD). 14% of students have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy or muscular  disorder. 12% of students have a learning or anxiety disorder. 10% of students  display aggressive behaviors and abide by a clinical behavior treatment plan.  More than 80% of students at Mainspring have been removed from, or previously  attended, one or more public or private programs that did not foster progress  in their independent and functional learning goals. For many students,  Mainspring Academy is the only school in Jacksonville that provides the tools  and experienced staff to meet their unique needs. A fully interactive and  integrative sensory room with a variety of proprioceptive, kinesthetic,  auditory, tactile. and vestibular tools tailored to our students’ unique  needs will not only provide our students with school-based enrichment  experiences, but will also help teachers address self-regulation, motor, and  social-emotional development goals defined in each child’s learning plan, by  providing evidence-based input which will allow the child to increase  participation across multiple settings.    

Our program is  comprised of the use of percussion, vocal singing and accompanying musical  instruments to reach largely non-musical goals, such as social skills,  emotional reciprocity, non-verbal communication skills, behavioral  self-regulation, and motivation. We design and facilitate strategies to  create paths for neurodiverse children and teens to become contributing  members of our community. Research-based music interventions in which our  students themselves are the performers, not merely audience members,  illuminates the benefits of inclusivity. Private schools for those with ASD,  senior living communities, group homes/private homes, as well as outside  events are the venues for these performances. We wish to expand this specific  program within our organization through the acquisition of high-quality  musical instruments, such as a variety of types of drums, and string  instruments (autoharps, ukeleles).

This fall we want  to "exchange experiences"! We want the community to learn about  each resident and expose them to individuals with autism. We also want our  residents to learn and experience everything the world has to offer. We want  to begin by music, art and culture. By exposing them one on one to these  different places we can learn more about our residents and focus on  extracting their desires and passions.

Our enrichment  program is a way for autistic individuals from our community to come with a  caregiver and work and learn on the farm. POHEP provides a safe environment  for them work in our organic garden, learn new skills and work alongside  their peers!

Building Better  Job Skills through Music Therapy is an adaptive job training program/therapy  created by PossAbilities Plus and Connecting Through Music. This three  module, nine week program, provides support to develop skills in  communication, executive functioning, reliability and responsibility. The  program is offered twice a week in the afternoons to allow for small groups  as well as after school participation. This program is geared for individuals  fourteen and older to prepare them for a job setting. Building Better Job  Skills reaches an under-served population in our community. Typically,  individuals who have aged out of the school system have little to no access  to programs which develop and enhance skills to support independence.

Ridgeview  Panthers Transition Program is a transition program for Autistic and  Intellectually Disabled young adults. They have all graduated but have  deferred receipt of their diplomas to participate in this program. They can  stay until the age of twenty-two. In my program we offer students adult  living skills such as cooking, gardening, safety, and other things they will  need for adult living.    Young adults with autism spectrum disorder can have sensory issues and  communication needs. Students introduced to various forms of art can help  with sensory and communication needs. A student can learn to communicate by  using art to tell what they are trying to say.     I would like to show my students the ways of self-expression through art.  Weaving, drawing, painting, crafts, rug making, and so much more. I feel this  would be great for this program by giving our students a chance at art.       I remember the first time I gave my  autistic students paint and told them to put their hands in it, they were  hesitant until I and put my hands in the paint and made the first handprint.  Before long they all put their hands in the paint and then on a wall leaving  their handprints. When the handprint dried, we would touch our prints and  feel the ridges and bumps of the paint. After that if we had a painting  project, we had to do handprints. It was awesome. First was sensory then came  individuality.

I teach vocational skills in our Community Based Vocational Education program  at the school. I currently have 38 students on my roster with Intellectual  Disabilities and Autism. We learn about the workforce through our curriculum  and on-site job opportunities. Students are working in various settings  within our school district and operating various microbusinesses.    One of our microbusinesses we currently have on campus is the selling of  plants. I have an operational greenhouse that students get to help grow  plants that will be sold in the spring. Plants are purchased when they are  plugs and students replant the plants and nurture them to plants that will be  sold to our faculty and staff on campus. Students are involved in the organization  of the greenhouse, the repotting of the plants, marketing of plants, the  sale, and the maintenance of the greenhouse.

Access Career Preparation and Access Unique Skills

The  purpose of this project is twofold: First, this project is near to my heart  due to the love for animals that my students have.  Over the last two years, we have had two  hamsters in the classroom as pets and the students have absolutely fallen in  love with them.  We started this school  year with four chickens and their response to this has been amazing!  All of my students have been diagnosed with  Autism and very often become overstimulated when in unusual or unexpected  situations.  The goats will be  beneficial in helping my students calm their anxiety.  And secondly, I want my students to gain  life skills such as animal care and basic responsibilities.  This project will provide my students not  only employability skills, but also emotional skills such as empathy,  compassion, and building confidence.   My hope is that my students will be able to hold a job after high  school and work with animals; skills that they would have gained through our  class project.

Our  goal is to provide after school and weekend activities throughout the school  year for individuals with autism and related disabilities. Our activities  will include:    Regular Wednesday night Friends Group gatherings at Redeemer Church and  other locations throughout the community including Peace of Heart, and Bit of  Faith Ranch. This is a time for families to come together and enjoy  community, music and Bible devotions and seasonal celebrations. We utilize  tailored curriculum and object lessons during weekly meetings. 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, 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.    Winter Social Event – a community invited social gathering and dance for  the entire family.

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."  With the invention and development of the eye gaze, we can help students with  a wide variety of challenges. We are able to evaluate and trial new  applications the device that target communication challenges (i.e.  Proloquo2go or TD snap)  On average we  assess over 10 students a year for eye gaze as well as have on average 10  students who using eye gaze in the district each year.  Assistive Technology can be an equalizer  for students with disabilities and we hope to continue to narrow the gap.

The introduction  of play is extremely important to autistic children who are often isolated  and have a desire to be alone. This may be the first time they are in a  structured educational setting and we need to work on interactions with  others and one way we can do that is by different types of play. We have  varied student levels and want to be able to introduce several types of play  to see which type the student may respond best to. We request funding to  allow us to purchase new materials to develop this  program.