Zoom Group

  Our mission is to empower, educate, and employ people of all abilities.

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Donation Amount of Your Choice

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Turquoise Colored Thread Necklace

By Alicia R.

Necklace made with turquoise colored thread.

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Zoom Group Facial Mask without the Design Z

Adult Mask - One Size Fits All

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Zoom Group with Design Z Logo

Adult Masks - One Size Fits All

Adult Mask - One Size Fits All

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Zoom Group Highlights!

This month we’re featuring StudioWorks Site Coordinator, Susie! She has been a part of the program for about 8 years now.

How did you first get involved with Zoom Group? 

I first got involved with Zoom Group about nine years ago when a friend asked if I would be interested in volunteering at StudioWorks, since I have extensive experience working with non-profit arts programs.  I volunteered for approximately one year before applying for a full time position with StudioWorks, was hired, and the rest is history.  Prior to moving back to Louisville, my family and I lived for twenty years in Tempe Arizona. While there, I served as education director for an art museum that was one of the first in the country to emphasize providing hands-on art educational experiences for all ages.  It was a fantastic experience.  

What do you do in Zoom Group?

I have been working as a site coordinator at StudioWorks for more than seven years.  Our primary responsibility is to facilitate person centered art creation experiences for more than forty Team Members so that they can meet specific outcomes and objectives.  There are, of course, many other responsibilities that include planning and prepping exhibitions, providing opportunities for Team Members to access the community, as well as assisting customers who visit the studio.  I specialize in assisting artists in creating ceramic artworks.

What’s your favorite part of Zoom Group?

I have two favorite things about Zoom Group.  My first favorite thing is the incredible dedication of colleagues throughout Zoom Group. My second favorite thing is providing Team Members with meaningful work and life experiences.  At StudioWorks this means providing artists who are compelled to express themselves through artmaking with the resources they need to be successful and fulfilled.

-Susie is a native of Hardin County, KY and the oldest of five children. She attended Murray State University where she got a B.F.A. in studio art/printmaking with a minor in art education. Susie has almost always worked in the not-for-profit arts education field and has always been an advocate for the importance of the arts in people’s lives.  She enjoys spending time with her family that includes Jeff, her husband of thirty years, her son Holden, her dog Simone and her cat Fritz. They all live happily (most of the time) in a 100+-year-old house that requires constant upkeep.

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Welcome our new graduates!

Last Thursday night, we recognized the newest group of ZoomU Alum at a special ceremony held at StudioWorks. These Team Members have excelled past all the job coaching and support that we can offer them, and are now off to independent, competitive employment. We are so proud of the growth and work ethic of each and every one of them.

Congratulations to you all!

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'Beautiful, Spontaneous, Creative' art exhibition featuring StudioWorks artist

We are so excited for StudioWorks artist Donna! Donna will be displaying work at the Metro Arts Center from Jan 16th to March 14th as a part of the 'Beautiful, Spontaneous, Creative' exhibtion. The opening reception is Jan 16, 12-2pm for David Gladstone and 5-7pm for Donna. For those not familiar wi

We are so happy for Donna! If you’re near the Louisville area, check out her work at this exhibition.

Learn more by clicking the link above!

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Zoom Group Highlights!

This month we’re featuring the StudioWorks Studio Manager, Heather! She has been a vital part of the program for four years now.

How did you first get involved with Zoom Group?

I used to walk past StudioWorks almost every day and never really knew what it was, but I had a friend that worked here and suggested I apply when a site coordinator position opened up. I immediately fell in love and knew I had to be involved! I remember talking with Eric about painting for a long time when I stopped in for my interview, and he still brings it up today!

What do you do in Zoom Group?

I am the StudioWorks Manager, which means I help to make sure the artists are able to make art that makes them happy as well as learn new art techniques and skills. I also help to build our connections in the community and plan and host community events like our art shows.

What’s your favorite part of Zoom Group?

I love being able to see people grow and change and find themselves and their passions. I love seeing a lightbulb go off when someone has a new amazing idea or when they realize something awesome about themselves, and I love how everyone I work with is so encouraging and supportive of the artists and Team Members.

-When she’s not at the studio, Heather is learning new skills through renovating her new home. She says she’s ‘surprisingly handy’ when it comes to home improvement. Some skills Heather has picked up recently is how to drywall and lay tile.

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Interested in giving back to the Autistic community?

Consider donating to Give the Gift of Stimming to help get stim toys to neurodivergent people in need.

The Give the Gift of Stimming campaign has received a tremendous response. I am amazed at the outpouring of love and support.

About 100 people in need signed up to receive stim toys, and while this campaign has received some very generous donations, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to afford stim toys for everyone. 

So it was that I reached out to Cynthia Kim of @stimtastic to see if there was any kind of bulk discount available due to the volume of the order. 

When I received Cynthia’s response, I cried. 

This amazing human being who has already done so much for the autistic community offered to match my order, in essence, doubling the amount of stim toys I was able to procure. 

Thanks to Cynthia’s generous donation, I now have in my possession stim toys for everyone who signed up to receive one. You can check out the video at the end of the post to see the unboxing. 

However, despite the generous donations this campaign has received, I don’t yet have enough money to be able to ship everything to the recipients. 

So, I’m asking that if you are willing and able to do so, please donate to Give the Gift of Stimming to help these stim toys reach people who really need them. 

Many of the recipients are from unsafe homes where they are unable to buy their own stim toys or even have these gifts mailed to their own homes. Others simply cannot afford their own stim toys due to high rates of unemployment and underemployment in our community. 

If you want to donate and are able to, please follow this link. It will take you to a pool where money is being collected to purchase stim toys for those who need them.

Let’s help make the holidays a bit brighter in our community!

Live boldly

Live radically

Live autistically

[strangerdarkerbetter]

@candidlyautistic @neurowonderful @lysikan @owlsofstarlight

Would you mind boosting this?

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For those who don't know, StudioWorks provides a supportive environment to create freely and explore ways to communicate creatively for over 40 different artists.

A big part of what fuels this program, and all the other programming from Zoom Group, is donations from supporters like you. During this holiday season, we ask you to give a gift to help us continue to guide our artists toward self expression. No donation is too small, and every gift counts.

If you want to be a part of what makes StudioWorks possible, click here!

Thank you and Happy Holidays to everyone!

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Thanks to everyone who came out last night for the Team Member holiday party. A huge thank you to all our volunteers who made the evening so great for our Team Members. This is one of the biggest parties we throw each year, and it means a lot to them. Each one of you, staff and Team Member alike, work so hard everyday. We are so thankful for your collective effort in creating a more inclusive community.

Happy Holidays everyone! Enjoy these snapshots from all the fun!

Find more images at https://www.zoomgroup.org/blog/2017/12/8/team-member-holiday-2017

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Central to the mission of Zoom Group is bringing team members together to engage in artistic expression and supports for employment. We believe now more than ever that our educational approach enables and empowers our Team Members to thrive in a world of complex change and opportunity. We do this through exceptional programming that provides daily living skills, educational environment in which team members develop into well-rounded confident individuals who will make the world a better place.

To achieve this mission, we must continue to invest in our programs, our staff, our facilities and, most importantly, the individuals we support with disabilities. During this holiday season, we ask for your support. This money will go toward Zoom Group programming such as LifeWorks, StudioWorks, and ZoomWorks. Every gift, no matter the size, WILL make a difference. Thank you so much for your continued support in another great year of empowering our Team Members!

Make our Team Members’ wishes come true here.

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It's #givingtuesday everyone! Nonprofits from all over are participating in this global day of giving, and Zoom Group is one of them.

By supporting Zoom Group, you help us get our Team Members find employment, gain valuable life skills, and help them become more integrated into their communities. All this helps in our goal of a more inclusive world.

Please consider donating today and making our wishes come true! Go to zoomgroup.org to see how you can get involved,

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Zoom Group Highlights!

This month we’re featuring our Team Member Antonio! Antonio works at our site at the local VA hospital in janitorial services.

How did you first get involved with Zoom Group?

I honestly can't remember but I started in the Laundry Department over 12 years ago.

What do you do in Zoom Group? 

I work in the Janitorial Department on the second floor in the VA Hospital.  I am responsible for the cleaning of 6 restrooms.  

What’s your favorite part of Zoom Group?

My favorite part of Zoom Group is the VA team member "family feeling."  This includes Laundry, Janitorial and Grounds departments.  We share lunch together on a daily basis.

-Antonio is very active in the community and is highly involved in activist work. Recently, he has been advocating against the price increase in public transit that will be implemented in the new year.  Antonio often advocates against things he believes to be unfair. 

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ASAN Announces 2018 Autistic Scholars Fellowship!

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is excited to announce the third year of the Autistic Scholars Fellowship, a scholarship which provides 4 to 6 autistic students with a $5,000 tuition scholarship to promote autistic leadership and create systemic change on their college campuses. Fellows will be required to establish or participate in a leadership …

The Autistic Scholars Fellowship is a scholarship for autistics looking to make their campus more inclusive.

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Zoom Group Highlights!

This month we’re featuring our Team Member Amanda! Amanda is a person of many strengths and talents. She attends both StudioWorks and our two LifeWorks programs as a volunteer. Amanda has been a part of Zoom for over 6 years.

How did you first get involved with Zoom Group?

I heard about Zoom Group from my Case Manager back in 2011. I started at StudioWorks around 6 years ago.

What do you do in Zoom Group?

I’m an artist at StudioWorks and I volunteer at LifeWorks. I go to both LifeWorks programs. I also help volunteer with Meals on Wheels.

What’s your favorite part of Zoom Group?

Being an artist at StudioWorks. It helps me come with good costumes. I am also working on game boards. I’m making a version of ‘Guess Who?’ but using my friends as the people. 

-Amanda says she tries her best not to ‘mean’ and considers herself a very nice person. She helps out often in the community through her volunteer work, such as Meals on Wheels. Amanda competes frequently in the Special Olympics, and has won many awards for swimming, track & field, and bowling. In her spare time, she also enjoys making her own greeting cards.

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Accessibility and the Kids Who Go to Shows – Lia Seth – Medium

You know how everyone in high school has at least one clique they belong to? One that shapes their adolescent identity? (Think of that…

I started to write a concert venue review after one of the greatest shows of my life and ended up ranting about H.R. 620, accessibility, and the ADA. So it goes.