DORCHESTER — Northeast Arc announced the winners of the third year of The Arc Tank competition, The Arc Tank 3.0, which was created to positively disrupt conventional methods of providing services to persons with disabilities. The winners were selected by a panel of judges who heard their pitches at an event held Nov. 19 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, a partner in the initiative.
Chosen from nearly 100 submissions, the winning proposals received awards from the Changing Lives Fund established through a $1 million donation from Steven P. Rosenthal, founder of West Shore, LLC. In addition, this year’s competition was in partnership with the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation.
“The Arc Tank has now awarded $650,000 to proposals that promise to break down barriers for people with disabilities who are too often marginalized, not included as equal participants in everyday life, and prevented from taking advantage of opportunities,” said Jo Ann Simons, CEO of Northeast Arc. “Our four new Arc Tank winners will be soon on their way to disrupting the status quo and making significant changes for the better for people with intellectual disabilities and autism. We cannot thank Steve Rosenthal enough for the generosity and creativity that have made these awards possible.”
The winners are:
AutismWorks ($45,000) – Developing Talent of the Future, Technical Certification and Computer Programming Training – Submitted by Interactive Media Institute of San Diego, CA.
BEAT Rockers App ($50,000)– Speech Practice Mobile App for Children with Speech and Development Disability – Submitted by Bridging Education and Art Together of Long Island, NY.
Creating Opportunities Through Entrepreneurial Ecosystems ($75,000) – Submitted by Celebrate EDU of Boulder, CO.
4-A Club: Autism, Aging, Alexa, Access ($80,000) – Submitted by New England Yachad of Brookline MA
Fan Favorite chosen by the Arc Tank audience: L.A. Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities – Submitted by RespectAbility of LA and Rockville, MD.
Each of the 2019 Arc Tank 3.0 winners addresses a crucial challenge currently facing the disability community.
All photos by Bill Brett
