WCDD Home > Grants/Contracts

Project T.E.E.N. 2005-2006 (Teen Energy and Empowerment Network)

Goals

The Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities (WCDD) offers funding and support to student leaders who want their school to be a better place for students with disabilities. Past awardees from around the state have:

• Match students with and without disabilities to be involved in community activities
• Disability awareness workshops, mock interviews, work with local businesses, mentoring among students with or without disabilities
• Lunch hour group to plan events around respect/friendship/disability awareness etc.
• More about past awardees

Details

We have Project Teen grants of between $250 and $500 to give out to students who want to build more welcoming communities in their schools for all students. Students with the label of disability have a lot to offer the world. It's time to take action, to teach others that students have different abilities, which can make them successful.

• Applications for grants are due by October 14, 2005 [Application form in PDF or in Word]
• Announcements of grant recipients will be made on or soon after November 3, 2005
• Grant projects run anytime during the 2005-2006 school year
• If you have questions or need assistance on your application, please call or email:
  Kathryn Mazack (608) 266-5395, mazackl@dhfs.state.wi.us

Project Teams

In order to apply for a grant, a team needs to be formed to include at least one student leader with a disability, one student leader without a disability and one faculty support person.

In addition, we encourage you to involve other students, either with or without disabilities, to make your project a success. A whole class and their teacher could be involved, or a few student leaders with and without disabilities could work together, along with a faculty support person.

Some Ideas for Projects

We are interested in funding school-based projects that address some barrier or challenge that students with disabilities in your school currently face. Examples of projects include:

• Getting students with and without disabilities involved together in school activities and /or activities outside of school.
• Teaching students with disabilities about their rights and how to advocate for themselves.
• Raising awareness about disability issues among the general student body
• Helping students and teachers to understand the contributions that students with disabilities make
• Mentoring both students with and without disabilities who are moving from Junior to Senior High School.
• Helping students take a leadership role in their IEP meetings.
• Improving accommodations students get in the classroom by working with students and their teachers to come up with creative solutions.
• Starting an advocacy and support group for students with disabilities.
• Writing and performing plays about what it means to feel welcomed and included

These are just some ideas. We are interested in you creating a project that will work for you and your school. So put your imagination to work! If you have an idea that isn't on this list, that's okay. Go ahead and apply for a grant. We hope to be able to fund every promising application we get.

Getting Help With Your Project

If you would like help from someone outside of your school to either plan your project or to help put your project into action, the WCDD will pay for additional support and assistance. Additionally, there are youth groups in Wisconsin which give powerful musical and theatrical performances to increase understanding about including everyone. Please contact the WCDD at 608-266-5395 for more information.