Integrate for Good, the Creamery, Pa., nonprofit advocate for youth and adults with disabilities, received a $10,000 grant from the Child Development Foundation in Norristown. The organization is allocating the received funds to its Empowerment Lab program.

That initiative is an integral subset of the mission of Integrate for Good, which works to empower children and adults with disabilities to share talents through:

• Inclusive volunteerism
• Community leadership
• Meaningful employment

The Empowerment Lab provides students with settings in which to build social capital, make community connections, and access new learning and leadership opportunities.

A key element is its guest speaker component, in which community leaders representing both for- and nonprofit Montgomery County entities serve as guest speakers and connect with students onsite as both coaches and trainers.

At the end of the interactive presentations, students and their families are prepared to identify and explore their own talents, interests, environmental work preferences, and passions.

The grant will support 24 lab attendees for the 2022–2023 school year.

Child Development Foundation’s support resulted from a shared vision with Integrate for Good, that of engagement for Montgomery County residents of all capacities and ages, based on talents, strengths, and abilities, not charity.

Over the course of its operations, Child Development Foundation has awarded over $7 million in grants to deserving recipients.

“We have a successful model, strongly rooted in research conducted at Temple University around the social determinants of health for individuals with disabilities,” said Dr. Bev Weinberg, Integrate for Good founder and executive director.

“We believe,” she continued, “that every young person deserves a bright future, one filled with opportunities to learn, work, and belong. This is why we created the Empowerment Lab, and this is why we want to expand it to more students in Montgomery County.

“We are grateful to the Child Development Foundation for supporting students with disabilities.”