PHILADELPHIA AUTISM PROJECT
2019 SEED AWARD RECIPIENTS
The Philadelphia Autism Project is excited to announce the 2018 – 2019 seed award recipients!
Please see below for group descriptions and feel free to contact recipients directly to get involved! To learn more about all seed award groups, please visit www.phillyautismproject.org/seed
SPECIAL ED ART Contact: Edwin Perez | Region Served: Manayunk
Email: [email protected] Phone: 703.967.7743
Special ED Art will use funding to host art workshops for individuals on the spectrum. The workshops will culminate into a final gallery show or book of work to display art from the program.
AUTISM R.E.C. Contact: Jamila Tucker | Region Served: Events and activities will take place across Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.200.0405
Autism R.E.C. will use funding towards hosting meet and greets and facilitating activities for individuals on the spectrum and their family members. They welcome all ages to join in on the fun!
FUEL: GERMANTOWN Contact: Alena Beeman | Region Served: Germantown
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.793.0320
Fuel: Germantown will use funding to support life skill classes at their program. They aim to support elementary age students, grades 1st through 5th, through these classes.
COLORS ON THE SPECTRUM Contact: Winston Bailey | Region Served: West Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.343.2538
Colors on the Spectrum will use funding towards their focus groups, support groups and creation of parent engagement programming. They raise awareness in the following areas: Misdiagnosed, late diagnosed, or undiagnosed children between 6-12 months and older. P.O.E. - PARENTS ORGANIZED ON EDUCATION Contact: Sharon Duckett | Region Served: Wynnefield/Bala Cynwyd
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.298.2796
P.O.E. will use funding towards supporting their group in practicing life skills through baking and other activities. They are targeting adults on the spectrum, ages 21 and older.
FAMILY ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE Contact: Donna Mazzella | Region Served: Germantown
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.290.9094
The Family Advocacy and Outreach Committee will use funding towards creating and sustaining a support and advocacy group. The group will be targeted towards parents at the Green Tree School as well as the Philadelphia community at large.
FOLKFUTURISM PHILADELPHIA Contact: Amber Dorko Stopper | Region Served: South Philadelphia rehearsal space, West Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.906.6697
Folkfuturism Philadelphia will use funding towards the creation and display of public art, signage, and autism acceptance events used in civil rights and visibility campaigns throughout history. They hope to create a community in which individuals on the spectrum advocate for their own rights, through their own aesthetic. They encourage participation, regardless of artistic experience, from anyone who would like to learn to make backpack puppets, sew banners, make signs, or has additional ideas for the program.
CHIT CHAT: EXPLORING PHILLY’S OUTDOORS & FOODS Contact: Nuriya Neumann | Region Served: Meetings will be held across the city
Email: [email protected] Phone: 408.512.0547
Chit Chat: Exploring Philly’s Outdoors & Foods will use funding towards a social group for young adults on the spectrum. The structure of the group will include monthly meetings on a weeknight lasting two hours and located in different places across the city of Philadelphia.
ART REACH Contact: Lauren Garnese | Region Served: Collaborate with partners across the city
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.515.6723
Art Reach will use funding towards improving and expanding the cool-down space they offer as a part of their collaborations with many art institutions. They strive to meet the needs of people on the spectrum or with other cognitive disabilities.
GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP Contact: Jayne McGinley | Region Served: Northeast Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.400.3100
George Washington High School will use funding towards establishing and sustaining a family support group. The group will meet bimonthly at the school and aim to engage with parents and families of over 63 students. THE ARC OF PHILADELPHIA Contact: Joseph Mancini | Region Served: North Philadelphia and will target businesses to participate from across the city
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.229.4550
The Arc of Philadelphia will use funding towards creating a training curriculum that educates businesses on how to support customers with autism. They will also facilitate a monthly parent group to get feedback and suggestions on their initiatives.
VERGE OF INDEPENDENCE PROJECT Contact: Eva Blackwell | Region Served: Spring Garden/Fairmount Area
Email: [email protected] Phone: 833.847.2030
The Verge of Independence Project will use funding towards creating workshops on a variety of topics for young adults on the spectrum at the Community College of Philadelphia. Some topics include: social integration, public speaking, advocacy, and financial literacy.
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AUTISM INTEREST GROUP Contact: Margaret Ryan | Region Served: Center City
Email: [email protected] Phone: 517.320.1381
Thomas Jefferson University Department of Occupational Therapy/Autism Interest Club will use funding towards creating a Groothie Pop-up Tent event to provide an opportunity for young adults on the spectrum to gain job skills. They envision occupational therapy, special education, and psychology students planning future events aimed at serving the young adult autism community in Philadelphia.
THE CENTER FOR AUTISM – CFA CONNECT Contact: Lauren Comiskey | Region Served: Northeast Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 484.567.3309
Center for Autism’s CFA Connect will use funding to support a Trunk-or-Treat event in the fall. CFA Connect is a family- focused initiative that runs several events throughout the year for families at no cost.
AWBURY ARBORETUM Contact: Nancy Pasquier | Region Served: Germantown
Email: [email protected] Phone: 484.343.2589
Awbury Arboretum will use funding towards building and implementing a program that combines life skills and academic instruction with direct hands-on interaction with goats for individuals on the spectrum. They will pilot this program with elementary school students from Roosevelt Elementary School.
TAAHIR VILLAGE Contact: Thomasina Lee | Region Served: North Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.430.0198
Taahir Village will use funding towards creating a support group and enagaging with the autism community through events. The support group is targeted towards families and individuals on the spectrum. MULTI-CULTURAL LEARNING CENTER Contact: Calicia Bryan | Region Served: South Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.344.6996
The Multi-Cultural Learning Center will use funding towards implementing a weekly social skills group to teach pro-social skills and interactive play. They will hold two social groups per week targeting children on the spectrum, ages 7 to 15.
MIGHTY WRITERS Contact: Lisa Gall | Region Served: Have sites throughout the city
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.239.0899
Mighty Writers will use funding towards the creation of autism support kits and training new staff and volunteers in the proper use and care of these kits. They engage with children ages 7 through 17 and hold programs which teach kids to think clearly and write with clarity.
LET’S GO OUTDOORS Contact: Keisha Scovens | Region Served: Germantown, Northern Liberties, West Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 866.878.3595
Let’s Go Outdoors will use funding to support a monthly ASD meet-up and outdoor social activity as well as a collaborative program in conjunction with PMHC’s Autism Program. Each program is geared toward children, ages 12-16.
PENNSYLVANIA SIBLING SUPPORT NETWORK Contact: Andrea Powell | Region Served: West Philly, Germantown, North Philly and University Penn area.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.844.6031
The Pennsylvania Sibling Support Network will use funding towards expanding their support and self advocacy group as well as to support annual events. They encourage anyone in the autism community to attend their annual special events and monthly group!
PROMOTING EDUCATION ENHANCING ATHLETICS Contact: Eric Williams | Region Served: All sections of Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.258.8687
Promoting Education Enhancing Athletics will use funding towards implementing sport centric activities and a support group for individuals with autism and their families. Sessions include a family led discussion or activity surrounding an identified theme.
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY - SOCIAL XCHANGES GROUP Contact: Michael Hanowitz | Region Served: North Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.588.5629
Temple University’s Social Xchanges Group will use funding towards growing the support and recreational group for individuals on the spectrum at Temple. The group is open to any temple students (undergraduate & graduate) that have a diagnosis or can be diagnosed on the autism spectrum. YOU, YOU, YOU Contact: Bill Krebs | Region Served: Center City
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.257.0109
You, You, You will use their funding towards expanding their self-advocacy group. Ages 18 and older are welcome to join, share their experiences, and meet new people.
COALITION OF AFRICAN COMMUNITIES (AFRICOM) Contact: Eric Edi | Region Served: South/Southwest Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.787.1302
The Coalition of African Communities will use funding towards production of short animation videos in African and Caribbean languages to help increase knowledge about autism in these populations. The videos will be distributed through social media and aim to empower families as well as increase knowledge of resources available to this population.
GIFT 2 GAB Contact: Joan Nelson | Region Served: Germantown
Email: [email protected] Phone: 267.254.9989
Gift 2 Gab will use funding towards creating additional trainings and expanding their support group. They engage with people on the spectrum of all ages and encourage individuals and families to attend their events/group.
BUTTERFLIES AND BOWTIES Contact: Crystal El | Region Served: Hold programs throughout the city
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.342.4212
Butterflies and Bowties will use funding towards implementing their arts and craft workshops. The goal is to provide access to art to those who may be under-exposed to it.
PENN MUSEUM Contact: Ellen Owens | Region Served: West Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.898.4066
The Penn Museum will use funding to implement interactive workshops, with many opportunities for hands-on engagement. Their program is targeted towards teens and young adults on the spectrum.
PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART Contact: Damon Reaves | Region Served: West Philadelphia
Email: [email protected] Phone: 215.684.7596
The Philadelphia Museum of Art will use funding towards expanding their sensory friendly app through adding social guides, games, and additional resources for the autism community. Additionally, they intermittently offer sensory friendly mornings targeted at children 12 and under. CHILD GUIDANCE RESOURCE CENTERS Contact: Aimee Salas | Region Served: Serve families throughout the city
Email: [email protected] Phone: 484.454.8719
Child Guidance Resource Centers (CGRC) will use funding toward supporting engagement of individuals on the spectrum and their families at the Philadelphia Soul Inclusion Welcome Festival preceding their game on June 29, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center. CGRC’s partnership with the Philadelphia Soul will enable children to meet Soul team members as they enter the field for the game and to watch from the sidelines to experience the game from the players’ perspective.
WHERE ARE THE PROJECTS FAR NORTHEST PHILADELPHIA
GERMANTOWN/ CHESTNUT HILL
OLNEY/ OAK LANE NORTHEST PHILADELPHIA ROXBOROUGH/ MANAYUNK UPPER NORTH PHILADELPHIA
LOWER NORTH KENSINGTON WEST PHILADELPHIA PHILADELPHIA
CENTER CITY
SOUTH PHILADELPHIA
SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA
A F F F R S G E E
W C A S S L S T E
PHILADELPHIA CONTACT US: AUTISM PROJECT (215) 571.3209 or (215) 571.3152
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY! [email protected]
/PhillyAutism /PhillyAutism /Philly_Autism www.phillyautismproject.org