Spring Symposium Theme: “Look back. Drive the future…”
The ninth First Place Global Leadership Institute Symposium is just around the corner! Join us April 7 and 8 to hear from pioneers in housing and community development.
The two-day webinar, with the theme of “Look back. Drive the future…”, will focus on what’s needed and required in housing development for adults with autism and other neurodiversities and what we can do now to make those all-important advancements possible in communities everywhere. The lineup includes developers, researchers and healthcare leaders who are informing our big visions and foundational plans. Together, we can ensure housing and community options are as bountiful for people with autism and other neurodiversities as they are for everyone else. Please join us! Click here for more information and to register.
Vaccinations a Welcome Shot in the Arm!
We reached a huge health milestone this month! In partnership with Scottsdale Physician’s Group, First Place residents, Transition Academy students and several staff members were offered the opportunity to receive their first doses of the Moderna vaccine on-site. We’re preparing for dose #2 scheduled for April 20!
New Autism Documentary Breaks New Ground
In a Different Key, the new documentary on autism, depicts what’s possible for people with autism living in Forest, Mississippi, Phoenix, Arizona and communities across the country. It’s one thing to be told that your child could have a life—a home, a job, a friend, a community that supports them. It’s another thing to see it in action and experience it firsthand, too. This extraordinary film is already garnering awards soon after its introduction this month, including best documentary at the Oxford Film Festival and the Sonoma International Film Festival. It’s also scheduled for the Sedona International Film Festival this summer. Watch the trailer and read more about this exciting new film in the latest blog from Denise’s spring series.
Sustainable Housing Solutions Focus of Latest Autism Spectrum News Articles
Two timely articles co-authored by Denise Resnik, founder and president/CEO of First Place AZ, and Desiree Kameka Galloway, director of the Autism Housing Network, focus on the pressing need for housing solutions for special populations—and offer solutions for moving the needle in the right direction.
First Place Benefits from ASU Theater Talent
First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students are having a great time with our new friend, Jacob Buttry, graduate student at ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Jacob is teaching everyone about theater and creative expression. Each week, participants are getting more comfortable in exciting, new settings as they learn how to communicate their thoughts and emotions while connecting with their community and neighbors in new ways.
Spring Has Sprung in First Place Gardens
Everyone is poised to harvest fresh lettuce, herbs and tomatoes from our indoor and outdoor gardens, thanks to a Sprouts Healthy Communities Grant. As part of the grant, more community gardens are being planned and developed nearby representing new volunteering, learning and harvesting opportunities for First Place residents and the broader community. Stay tuned for more details about our ever-growing bounty!
Sprucing Up for Spring
Students from xtylo Beauty College recently returned to First Place–Phoenix to offer residents and Transition Academy students complimentary haircuts and manicures. What a great opportunity for everyone to freshen up their spring look! Thanks, xtylo, for your generosity—and all the right touches!