Grant money to improve a school for students with autism

The Golisano Foundation awarded Thrive Academy a $250,000 grant to help improve the school campus. COURTESY PHOTOS

Family Initiative, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing programs and therapies to children, teens and young adults impacted by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has received a $250,000 grant to help create a new and innovative autism specialty school for middle and high school students.

The Golisano Foundation, which awarded the grant, is one of the nation’s largest foundations dedicated to supporting programs for people with intellectual disabilities and a big supporter of the autism community in Southwest Florida.

“We are beyond excited for this generous donation from the Golisano Foundation. The support provided is more than a financial investment in our educational programs, it also represents belief in our organization’s grassroots approach to building a continuum of care for the autism community here in Southwest Florida. It is equally impactful to our families and organization,” said President and Co-Founder David Brown.

“We are very pleased to provide this grant to Family Initiative to make essential renovations to two buildings on the Thrive Academy campus and better accommodate students with autism spectrum disorder,” said Erica Dayton, Executive Director of the Golisano Foundation. “This is the largest single grant we have provided to any organization in Southwest Florida. It will help Family Initiative make important improvements, including dividing classrooms into smaller rooms, adding sensory rooms, upgrading utilities, and enhancing hurricane safety features. We commend Family Initiative for providing high quality, evidence-based clinical services and a continuum of programmatic care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families in Southwest Florida.”

David Brown, APD Deputy Director of Operations Lorena Fulcher, APD Director Taylor Hatch, APD Regional Operations Manager Michael Taylor.

“This funding is such a huge step for us as we build out a unique educational, vocational, and life skills environment to ensure every student is provided with what they need to thrive,” said Co-Founder Anjali Van Drie.

Family Initiative piloted Thrive Academy in the 2023 school year with the support of a $5 million investment by Florida. The money helped acquire the campus for the new school. Demand for alternative education settings is incredibly high. Enrollment is open for the upcoming school year, and spots are filling up quickly. Thrive Academy offers middle and high school students an individualized learning environment focusing on academic goals, vocational training, life skills training and experiences, and wrap-around clinical support.

About Family Initiative

Established in 2015, Family Initiative, Inc. is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to supporting children with autism and strengthening their families. Its team of clinicians serves children from a compassionate, personalized approach through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Occupational Therapy (OT) services and offers autism play groups, teen meetings, parent education, community conversations and more. In addition, the organization provides child welfare caregiver training and support through its Family Impact Program. ¦

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