JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Tesori Family Foundation donated $22,581 to The Arc Jacksonville on Wednesday, July 9, to support its Professional Animal Workers (PAWS) program.
This grant represents an advancement in expanding postsecondary credentialing and vocational training opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental differences (IDD).
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, who attended the check presentation, praised the impact of the initiative.
“Just a heartfelt thank you to everybody involved in this effort, and the incredible and generous support of the Tesori Family Foundation, it’s a huge step forward for workforce development in Jacksonville,” said Deegan.
“It’s really one of my huge priorities; it gives residents with IDD more opportunities to build meaningful careers, and that is hugely important for our community.“
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Participants in the PAWS Program complete classroom instruction at The Arc Jacksonville’s downtown campus and gain hands-on experience through internships at ACPS.
The grant will be used to fund new laptop computers, support the development of a formal PAWS curriculum for both current and future cohorts, and sponsor three students pursuing the certificate.
The PAWS Program is already celebrating success with the hiring of Aidan Balzli by ACPS.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Aidan, a graduate of The Arc Jacksonville’s On Campus Transition (OCT) program at the University of North Florida (UNF), was among the first six students enrolled in PAWS when it launched last year.
“Our foundation is thrilled to support this first-of-its-kind program. We’re so thankful to have such great leadership from ACPS, The Arc Jacksonville, FSCJ – all of them for paving the way for the PAWS program," said Paul Tesori, Founder of the Tesori Family Foundation.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
