DDA to Award $500,000 in Grant Funding to 21 Youth Recreational Programs
Funding will be used to help programs increase capacity and meet the needs of higher-acuity participantsNASHVILLE – The Department of Disability and Aging (DDA) announced today that it will award grant funding to 21 non-academic youth recreational programs, totaling $500,000.
Grantees will receive one-time funding to support existing nonprofit, non-academic recreational programs, such as youth development camps, to increase capacity and allow programs to support individuals with complex medical needs.
“These programs help build mental, physical, and emotional connections for youth statewide,” said DDA Commissioner Brad Turner. “This funding will ensure programs in rural and urban communities can better support school-aged youth of every background and ability.”
Grant recipients represent a range of recreational offerings for youth in Tennessee—a professional theatre program, a nature-based organization focused on creating accessible outdoor recreation, and equine therapy are examples of the variety of organizations receiving funding.
DDA will be distributing grant funding ranging from $10,500 to $25,000. Awardees include:
- Little Blue Theater Company
- Nature Together
- Project Inspire Foundation
- Hope’s Haven
- Downside Up
- Creative Discovery Museum
- Arts for ALL TN
- Camp Able at St. Columbia
- Hope Hohenwald
- The STAR Center
- Vanderbilt University
- White Fawn Farm
- Community Intervention Memphis
- Daughters of Zion
- Down Syndrome Association of Middle TN
- LIFT East TN
- Linc Unites Inc.
- Special Kids – Camp Ability
- Able Voices
- My Brother Rocks the Spectrum – Murfreesboro
- My Brother Rocks the Spectrum – Franklin
A total of 30 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations applied for grant funding. The video below highlights White Fawn Farm, a therapeutic horse-riding facility whose mission is to enhance the lives of children and adults with disabilities, as well as those facing challenging situations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIWxT1dkPS8
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About the Department of Disability and Aging
The Department of Disability and Aging is the state agency responsible for oversight of services and support to 1.5 million older adults and Tennesseans with disabilities. The department is the result of a merger between the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disabilities, effective July 1, 2024. Every day, the department strives to support people to live rewarding and fulfilling lives through Medicaid waiver Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), and a wide range of services and supports for older adults and adults with disabilities. DDA also provides services to infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays through the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), and children under the age of 18 with disabilities or complex medical needs through the Katie Beckett Program. The department supports people to live the lives they envision for themselves by ensuring people are free to exercise rights, engage with their broader communities and experience optimal health. DDA is the first state service delivery system in the nation to receive Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation from the Council on Quality and Leadership. It has also been recognized as a national leader in its efforts to increase competitive, community-based employment outcomes for people with disabilities and its commitment to enhancing independence through Enabling Technology.