The Stoughton Area Resource Team, Inc.
(START) provides a safety net for those in crisis. Recently, a 30-year old single father of two struggled to find work, to pay for daycare for his children and to secure a home; so much time was spent homeless and hopeless.
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Imagine Academy Corp
318 S. Forrest St
Stoughton, WI 53589
Phone: 920-819-9163
Contact Name: Sarah MacFarland
Co-Executive Director
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Organization Profile
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| All Children Belong - 2023 |
Amount Funded: $5,000.00 |
| We have engaged with A&J Mobility, in McFarland, to help us find a vehicle that will meet our needs. When our budget aligns, we will purchase a vehicle and open our enrollment to children that are not currently able to access our programs because of this transportation barrier. With grant money from Stoughton Area Community Foundation, in addition to our own funds, we plan to have a vehicle purchased and children enrolled by January 2024.
Our board of directors works rigorously to plan fundraising events each year to fund our initiatives and programs. We are planning a “bus pull†event, in which participants will donate to pull our Red Bus a distance of 50 feet for the fastest time. It is our goal to find other funding sources, such as strength-based events that align with our model of strength training. At the same time, we are fundraising and writing grants to support our capital campaign to build a new and accessible center.
In the rural parts of Dane County, respite care services are difficult to find, and inclusive programming is almost non-existent. Imagine Academy is filling this gap. Having a wheelchair accessible vehicle is aligned with our mission to include ALL children and the Stoughton Area Community Foundation’s Mission of making a difference in the lives of Stoughton residents. Not only will children be impacted by this grant, but parents will have the respite services they need to work, play, and belong in our community.
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| The COVID pandemic isolated our children, especially our children with developmental and physical challenges. Interpersonal relationships suffered during this time of isolation and we are creating solutions that reignite social interactions. According to a Stoughton parent of a child with mobility challenges, the COVID pandemic really had a huge effect because we were so isolated and had no access to peers for (my son). For children with mobility challenges, transportation to community activities is a barrier. We have found solutions to bring children with neuro-diversities into our programs. Our next step is to find solutions to the transportation barrier that exists for children and families with alternate mobility needs.
One of our goals is to enroll at least two Stoughton Area School District students who use wheelchairs for mobility. Just imagine the impact we will have on ALL children with a vehicle that can transport children with mobility differences from SASD schools to Imagine Academy where they will build confidence, strength, and friendships alongside their peers!
Our after school program enrollment is currently 37 children from the Stoughton Area School District. This grant will not only allow Imagine Academy to provide transportation for children with mobility challenges, but also give peers a sense of community by riding together.
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