Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism and science advocacy organization, recently announced that it has awarded more than $27,000 to three local organizations through its 2015 Baker Summer Camp Grant and Family Services Community Grants program.
The Baker Summer Camp grants were awarded to Mountaineer’s School for Autism in West Palm Beach and the YMCA of South Florida Palm Beach County in Boca Raton. The Autism Speaks grant program selects eligible camps in the United States to offer scholarship funds for financially disadvantaged children with autism to attend summer camp.
Grandma’s Place in Royal Palm Beach was awarded a Family Services Community Grant. The funds will be used for the development and implementation of an inclusive tutoring and social recreation program in order to provide the individualized attention, positive reinforcement and peer interaction needed for social and scholastic skill development. Autism Speaks Family Services Community Grants are focused on building the field of services for people with autism and expanding the capacity to effectively serve this growing community.
“We are proud to support the Mountaineer’s School for Autism, the YMCA of South Florida Palm Beach County and Grandma’s Place in their efforts to expand programs and services or create new innovative programs that will enrich the lives of individuals with autism, and do our part to help develop meaningful programs that serve the local autism community,” said Denise Negron, community development associate for Autism Speaks Palm Beach.
All applicants also have been added to the Autism Speaks Family Services Resource Guide. In addition to the Family Services Community Grants program, Autism Speaks offers a variety of funding opportunities for local organizations and service providers, including its chapter, regional and neighborhood grants. The application for these local grant programs, which receive funding of up to $5,000, opened on July 1. Autism Speaks also provides funding for post-secondary education, swimming and water safety lessons, and summer camp opportunities.
More information on these grant opportunities is available at www.autismspeaks.org.
ABOVE: Grandma’s Place Executive Director Roxanne Jacobs (center) with Melissa DiNuzzo and Denise Negron of Autism Speaks.
