National Inclusion Project (formerly the
Bubel/Aiken Foundation) is a non-profit organization, founded in 2003 by
Clay AikenClay Aiken is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released in October 2003...
and Diane Bubel, dedicated to promoting the inclusion of children with disabilities in activities with their non-disabled peers.
By providing services and financial assistance, the Foundation supports communities and programs in creating awareness and opportunities for full inclusion where barriers break and doors open.
National Inclusion Project (formerly the
Bubel/Aiken Foundation) is a non-profit organization, founded in 2003 by
Clay AikenClay Aiken is an American pop singer who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released in October 2003...
and Diane Bubel, dedicated to promoting the inclusion of children with disabilities in activities with their non-disabled peers.
By providing services and financial assistance, the Foundation supports communities and programs in creating awareness and opportunities for full inclusion where barriers break and doors open. Its goal is to create an environment for children where inclusion is embraced.
On August 5, 2009, in an open letter from the founders, Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel stated "As we realized the impact the Foundation has already made, it became apparent that even bigger accomplishments could be on the horizon. To that end, we along with the rest of the Board decided that a new name for the Foundation would establish long-term credibility and stability. We sought a name that would signify the Foundation’s position as a national leader on inclusion as well as recognize the Foundation’s start and the efforts of its faithful supporters. After much thought and deliberation, we are proud to introduce the organization we co-founded as the National Inclusion Project.
History
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation was founded in July 2003 by singer Clay Aiken from the hit TV show,
American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
. His interest in
autismAutism is a disorder of neural development that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism involves many parts of the brain; how this occurs is not well understood...
issues led him, along with Diane Bubel (whose son Michael is diagnosed with autism and was tutored by Aiken), to found the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which supports the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of their non-disabled peers.
Initially, Aiken developed the concept of the foundation as a project to complete credit hours needed for graduation from the
University of North Carolina at CharlotteThe University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public, coeducational, doctoral/research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas and second largest banking center in the United States. Today, the university is ranked by U.S...
. Aiken worked on the organization and set up of the Foundation while competing on American Idol and performing with the
season 2The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. It was the first season hosted by Ryan Seacrest exclusively. It was won by Ruben Studdard...
contestants during their summer tour. After receiving over $50,000 in donations to the as-yet non-existent organization, Aiken decided to follow through and make the organization a reality. On July 28, 2003, just 2 months after the end of the competition, he officially announced the creation of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation.
In October 2005 the Foundation debuted a new look for it's website and a new logo described in the announcement as "The new logo abstractly displays five individuals coming together, representing five points of a star. One is unique from the rest, but is nonetheless included as part of the whole."
In a joint statement, Aiken and Bubel announced on August 5, 2009 that National Inclusion Project was the new name of the Foundation.
Let's ALL Play
Let's ALL Play is a program that works in conjunction with summer camps by providing inclusive camp experiences to children with disabilities in an integrated environment alongside children without disabilities. The programs are implemented with YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, community and private summer camps.
The National Inclusion Project has partnered with
Johns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Johns Hopkins also maintains full-time campuses elsewhere in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Italy, China, and Singapore...
Center for Summer Learning to develop and pilot a summer learning curriculum that youth-serving organizations can use to offer inclusive summer camp opportunities.
Mitsubishi Electricis a Japanese company based in the Tokyo Building in Tokyo, manufactures electric and architectural equipment, as well as a major worldwide producer of photovoltaic panels...
America Foundation has supported this project with a grant.
Grant Program
The Foundation has presented yearly Able to Serve awards to children with physical and mental disabilities to support their volunteer efforts. These awards are granted to fund service projects created by children with disabilities to encourage them to provide service to others.
Grants are given to non-profit or public community organizations whose programs focus on on inclusion for ALL children. Organizations receiving grants include The Salvation Army Kroc Center,
San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego , named after Saint Didacus , is the second-largest city in California and the ninth largest city in the United States, located along the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the United States. The US Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 1,279,329 as of 2008...
, the Marcus Jewish Community Center of
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
and the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department,
Bloomington, IndianaBloomington is a city and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 69,291 with a 2007 estimate of 72,254....
K-12 Inclusive Service Learning
In late 2004 the Foundation was presented with a $500,000 grant from the
U.S. governmentThe Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is a program of the United States Department of Education. OSERS' official mission is "to provide leadership to achieve full integration and participation in society of people with disabilities by ensuring equal opportunity and access to,...
to develop a K-12
curriculumIn formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for inclusion to be used in schools across the country. In addition
State FarmState farm can refer to:*Sovkhoz, a type of state-owned farm in the Soviet Union*Volkseigenes Gut, a type of state-owned farm in East Germany*Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, a type of state-owned farm in People's Republic of Poland...
granted $1.5 million dollars to the Foundation to help develop a primary education curriculum focused on teaching social and life skills through service to children of all levels of ability.In January 2009 the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration announced that the curriculium had completed the testing phase and was ready to be released.
Fund Raising
In November 2007, Aiken was a contestant on a celebrity edition of the game show
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. Playing for his Foundation, he chose to drop out after the ninth question with $300,000, despite having a copy and a save at his disposal. If he had played the tenth question, he would have won $500,000; Aiken and the 5th grader playing with him both had the correct answer.
Champions Gala
Beginning in November 2004 in Los Angeles the Foundation has hosted an annual Gala featuring dinner, live and silent auctions and entertainment. Every year special recognition is given to the "Champions of Change" honorees selected by the Foundation. They are individuals, companies or groups who have made a significant effort to promote awareness of the need for inclusion.
Golfing for Inclusion
Begun in 2008 this annual fund raiser has been held at the
Mirasol Country ClubThe Country Club at Mirasol, also referred to simply as Mirasol, is a large, gated community located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The community, developed by Taylor Woodrow, contains over 2,000 homes and home sites on two championship golf courses along with natural preserves and lakes. Mirasol...
in
Palm Beach Gardens, FloridaPalm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida. The city is in the center of a rapidly-developing area north of West Palm Beach in the northern part of the county and the South Florida metropolitan area. As of 2006, the population was estimated by the United States...
. The all day event includes a golf clinic, brunch, an afternoon of golf, dinner, live and silent auctions and entertainmennt.
Professional golferIn golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who plays for money even once usually loses his or her amateur status permanently and is banned from all amateur tournaments. A professional may not play in amateur tournaments...
Wayne Player has co-hosted and conducted the golf clinics.
Dancing Like the Stars
Partnering with A Step to Gold International Ballroom, the Foundation has hosted a
danceDance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
competition at the annual Southern Women's Show in
Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital city of the state of North Carolina, the seat of Wake County and the second largest city in North Carolina. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S...
since 2007. Local celebrities partner with professional ballroom dancers to win the contest. All proceeds benefit the National Inclusion Project.
Wrapping for Inclusion
The "Wrapping for Inclusion" fund raiser, sponsored by the Foundation, is a nationwide effort by volunteers who set up at malls during the
HolidayThe words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents, but usually refer to one of the following activities or events:...
season to wrap presents for shoppers, help raise awareness and support for the National Inclusion Project, spread holiday cheer, and have fun!