Best Buddies at Cochise Elementary

Best Buddies in Arizona Awarded $25,000 Grant for Arizona School Friendship Programs

Best Buddies in Arizona, a nonprofit organization creating opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), has received a $25,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities. The funds will support the Elementary School Promoter Program, an engaging opportunity for students with and without IDD to participate in inclusive activities that promote friendship, acceptance, and interaction.

Teachers of students with and without IDD bring together their classrooms for socializing, learning, and activities. Through engaged social activities and shared learning experiences, students develop mutually enriching friendships and create a culture of acceptance that promotes inclusion throughout their academic career, encouraging friendship and integration among all peers. The meetings are comprised of games and social emotional education exercises, implemented by the teachers using the Sanford Harmony curriculum, which is provided free of cost to all elementary school chapters.

“Best Buddies AZ is so much more than simply a place for kids to interact,” said Chance Cozby, president of The Thunderbirds. “It provides a fun and lasting way to strength the bonds between friends. And most importantly, it teaches the value of accepting our differences.”

Best Buddies in Arizona

This grant is part of the Fall 2019 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.