August 29, 2024

The 2023-2024 Philadelphia Seed Awards event was a powerful showcase of community-driven innovation, creativity, and dedication. Hosted by the Philadelphia Autism Project, the Seed Awards recognize and support individuals, families, and organizations that are significantly impacting the autism community in Philadelphia. These small but mighty grants empower recipients to develop and expand programs that foster inclusion, provide critical resources, and celebrate neurodiversity.

City Councilmember Michael Driscoll kicked off the event by emphasizing the importance of the Seed Awards in maintaining an inclusive community. He praised the recipients for their dedication, stating, "It's really a labor of love for me to be working with the autism community. From the bottom of my heart, congratulations to every recipient today. Keep up the great work."

Valarie Oulds, Senior County Administrator at the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), shared her personal connection to the Seed Awards. She highlighted how the program has been instrumental in reaching out to communities at a grassroots level, driven by the experiences of those directly impacted by autism. "The work is guided by people with lived experience," Oulds noted, adding, "It's critical that we're able to reach into communities so that this work can happen on that level."

Awardees for this year include:

• Anime Afterschool
• Ausome Cutz
• Autism REC
• Black Girls with Green Thumbs
• Disability Pride Pennsylvania
• Family Matters
• HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy
• Liberty Resources
• Pegasus Therapeutic Riding Academy
• Penn Museum
• Posibilidades Infinitas
• Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC)
• South Philadelphia High School Greenhouse Project
• Taahir's Village
• The Autism Bridge Initiative
• The Center for Autism

Most awardees were present and gave the crowd a brief overview of their program or project. Pamia Coleman, co-founder of Black Girls with Green Thumbs, launched the program driven by a deeply personal mission. Pamia is the parent of a 13-year-old son, who is nonspeaking and on the autism spectrum and has struggled with food aversions. She created this organization to improve his nutrition and help others facing similar challenges. The program, Green Thumbs in Your School, now operates in two Philadelphia schools, where it introduces students to sensory gardens and healthy eating classes. These classes teach children how to grow, harvest, and prepare food, fostering independence and a connection to the earth. In partnership with Temple Tech Owl, Coleman plans to expand the program by developing sensory boards that allow nonspeaking children to communicate more effectively with their communities. These awardees are a testament to the incredible potential within Philadelphia communities to create positive change. They are not only transforming the lives of those they directly serve but also inspiring others to think creatively about how to address the needs of the autism community.

As the Seed Awards continue to grow, they remain a beacon of hope and inspiration for all committed to building a more inclusive and supportive community. The power of collaboration, guided by lived experiences, is at the heart of these initiatives.

In her closing remarks, Valarie Oulds emphasized the importance of this ongoing work: "Nothing about us without us." This statement reflects the ethos of the Seed Awards and reminds us that the most effective solutions are those that are co-created with the communities they serve.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming PhillyAP Conference on Wednesday, October 9, where these conversations will continue, and the impact of the Seed Awards will be further highlighted. For more information and to explore the complete list of awardees, visit phillyautismproject.org/seedaward.

The 2023-2024 Philadelphia Seed Awards are more than grants; they are seeds of change planted with care and nurtured by a community dedicated to growth, inclusion, and empowerment.