Author: Josh Medore | Photo credit: Josh Medore
As the GIVES Committee of the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals looked at this year’s applications for grants from the Young Philanthropist Fund, a name stood out.
Potential Development School for Students with Autism. The nonprofit school, with an elementary and high school along Market Street in Youngstown and a preschool on Indianola Avenue, works every day with students who have autism. The request was a simple one: support for a new outdoor exercise area. The philanthropic committee settled on a $5,000 grant award for the project.
“The name Potential Development does a great job of highlighting their mission: to show the true potential of people with disabilities, including those with autism,” says Zackary Gran, chairman of the GIVES Committee. “Our members recognize the potential of those people in our community as well. We see what they bring to the Mahoning Valley.”
“Physical activity is so important. It’s good to just get outside and stretch your legs and be active, not just for people with autism, but for all of us, just to keep a healthy body and healthy mind,” Gran says.
The buildings Potential Development uses for its elementary and high schools used to be office buildings, so have little in the way of outdoor amenities, explains Director of Development Crissi Jenkins.
“Right now, our students really only have a portion of the asphalt parking lot to play on,” she says. The school plans to install a chest press, back press, balance beam, climbing net, step machine and rower for the students to use. The space was designed by the same company that worked on The Walnut Grove, a fully accessible playground in Canfield.
“This space was designed with our older students in mind and it’s designed not just to give them an opportunity to play and move, but also to highlight the health benefits and to give our occupational and physical therapists space to use exercise and develop students’ motor skills,” Jenkins says.
The playground is expected to be ready for students by the spring, she adds.
Through the GIVES Committee, the Young Philanthropist Fund makes an annual gift to a local nonprofit, with the 25 Under 35 awards serving as the primary fundraiser. Housed at the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, the Young Philanthropist Fund has awarded 23 grants totaling nearly $54,000 since it was created in 2006. Potential Development has previously received two grants from the Young Philanthropist Fund – in 2012 and 2016.
In addition to providing a space for the area’s up-and-coming professionals to network, learn and bond, Mahoning Valley Young Professionals helps foster a sense of community – especially when it comes to giving back.
For Gran and the rest of the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals membership, supporting projects like the exercise playground at Potential Development is just another part of their commitment to the area. The Valley is where they’ve decided to start their careers and they see the bright spots of all it has to offer.
“A lot of people in this group have a lot going on. We have our careers. We have our families. We have our education. But we also see that we all have a drive to give back and connect our skillsets to organizations that need it,” he says. “If there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s that we all love this area. We want to see it thrive and we’re going to do what we can to help that.”
For the team of teachers, administrators and supporters at Potential Development, this grant represents more than just a monetary donation. It gives them the chance to connect with the area’s young professionals and develop support among future leaders.
“We’re always so grateful for donations and support from the community. In this case, to see young people embrace this concept and understand not just healthy living but also how important it is to our students, it’s wonderful,” she says. “They’re giving us a grant, but we’re also happy to show them what we do and hope that, maybe someday, they’ll be an advocate for what we do and for people with autism.”