National Inclusion Project Inc.

Children are our future and by providing inclusive opportunities for children of all abilities we are developing a generation where inclusion will be the expectation, not an exception. As children play together and get to know each other they learn that although someone is different they are so much alike in many respects. All children want to be part of, to be connected, to belong. Children develop friendships that grow over the years as we work toward social inclusion of all children. For too long children and adults with disabilities have been on the sidelines. Together with your support and the many partners we work with we are changing the landscape so no one has to sit on the sidelines!\r\nThis is a journey and much work is still to be done but we have already changed perspectives of many and as we share more about the many benefits of inclusion everyone agrees it is the right thing to do! About 7% of recreational camp programs are currently inclusive, with the help of many we can double this within the next 5 years and double again the following five. come join our efforts to ensure all kids participate and belong.

Working with YMCA's, Boy's and Girl's Clubs, Jewish Community Centers, Parks and Recs, and other community groups we are demonstrating the benefits of inclusion. We will continue our expansion and rollout of our flagship "Let's ALL Play" program model and build upon its strengths. We will develop program assessment capabilities to ensure best practices are utilized to enhance the overall inclusive experience. We will identify programs and provide families with information regarding availability of inclusive programs and what parents of all children should be seeking in qualified inclusive recreational programs. We will share the successes and continually build awareness of the benefits of inclusion.

We have the expertise and partnerships to achieve the defined goals. Like most organizations our challenge will be the funding to support. We will work with our existing support base and seek to expand those committed to our mission. This will assist but will not be enough to achieve the goals as defined. In addition we will aggressively pursue funding partnerships with corporations and like-minded foundations. As we share the gains achieved we anticipate additional philanthropic organizations and individuals will join to help us realize the benefit for the children and society!

We have reached over 75,000 children so far through our inclusive programs and community partners. Research has validated both the physical and social benefits of our Let's ALL Play program model. Parent letters continue to confirm how their child has been positively impacted by having the opportunity to participate.\r\nWith only about 9% of recreational summer camps inclusive we have only scratched the surface. There is so much work still to be done with community programs across the country to provide opportunities for all children to participate together. Our progress is only limited by the financial resources to provide more training and assistance to enable more programs. The demand for inclusive recreational programs exceed our capacity to support - but together we can work to ensure no child sits on the sidelines!