Learning to cook and prepare meals is an important life skill and a step toward independence for those on the autism spectrum. In the Culinary Department at SEEDs, participants learn kitchen safety, proper food handling, meal planning, good nutrition and so much more! As a non-profit organization, we rely on financial support from compassionate, engaged supporters who care about the growth and future of adults on the autism spectrum. Inspired by the talents of our participants and the generosity of local businesses and heartfelt donors, SEEDs for Autism is proud to present COOKIN’ UP THE LOVE – a virtual fundraiser and live streaming event celebrating food, family and the season of giving.
Last month, our Comics, Cartoons and Stop-Motion Animation workshop provided a wonderful opportunity for adults on the autism spectrum to express themselves creatively, explore their talents and practice social skills together. Sharing this popular area of interest with others created a positive, encouraging environment where participants could engage with their peers, build friendships and GROW! We asked some of the attendees to share their experiences with us.
BRANDON (Assistant Media Lab Instructor, former SEEDs participant)
Instructing at a community event does raise the bar when you are learning to be a teacher. Given that I was teaching stop motion animation at our Comics & Cartoons Workshop, it was quite a surprise to see participants take part in the class. Seeing seventeen guests coming to the event and feeling excited about animating sure was a challenge as most were not familiar with the medium.
It was an honor having Scott Pfister (Media Lab Instructor) aboard and a big help with Jake and Ethan. In my experience with the pair, Ethan is quite a tech wizard and Jake has the potential to become a director. Our crew was wonderful given that we were sparking creative fires for the visitors of our workshop. That itself was a success, and that the individuals that joined us had a hand at making a short video with the figures that were used for the set portion. The intent was that they were to have fun and learn something new, itself being quite an accomplishment. Overall, the event was successful and I hope to do more teaching on the medium.
JAKE M. (Workshop Co-Facilitator and SEEDs participant)
On Saturday February 16th I co-led the Stop-Motion Animation Workshop event at Seeds for Autism. I taught the participants how to build a set for stop motion-animation. Other instructors included Brandon, Ethan, and the Seeds Video Lab Instructor Scott. In addition to set building, participants got hands on experience with handling lego characters and moving them through a sequence in order to create a movie. Students also got to see a demonstration of the editing process. Being a leader felt good because I got to show people an interesting movie making skill which is also an art form.
CHRIS M.
I went to the Comics, Cartoons and Stop-Motion Animation Workshop on Saturday, the 19th of February. In the Comics section, I helped show my group how to tell a story in comic strip form. Then we made our own comic strips. I recreated a scene from the new HellBoy movie that is coming soon. Next, in the Cartoons section, we did paintings of pop art sound effects. My painting was a lightning bolt with the words “Thunder Strike”.
And finally, in the Stop-Motion section, we learned how to make animations using toys and puppets. I was helping Brandon the instructor with doing an animated short with LEGOs while everyone else was learning from the videos. The workshop overall was pretty neat and I look forward to what they’ll come up with in the next workshop.
JEFF
I was at the Comics workshop. I participated in all three events: comic strips, pop art and stop motion animation. I especially enjoyed the beautifully done “Mer-Mom” short shown as an example. All together I’d say this was a pretty educating experience. I can’t say what I learned in words but doing it helped me, let’s say, flow with it.
JOEL
I went to the Comics, Cartoons and Animation workshop. I drew backgrounds and made stories with cartoon characters. I made a painting that said POW! I made LEGO animation. I had fun.
SONJA
Last month I attended a Seeds for Autism workshop that was about the art of making comics, cartoons and stop motion. I started with how to create a comic strip and how to set up a scene adding in the characters you want to use and how to make a smooth transition from panel to panel. The next class was a painting class. We were painting the sound effects that writers in comics used to emphasize the weight of the situation to get the reader more attached to the characters they love. Finally there was the stop motion class where I learned how to manipulate the model to get the exact shot you want and how it takes patience, time and effort to make your stop motion film the way the creator intended it to be. The classes were really fun and I enjoyed myself a lot. I hope to do more workshops in the future.
At SEEDs for Autism, our ongoing series of workshops provide new opportunities to empower our participants and encourage them to GROW! These talented young adults gain confidence as they share their skills with others, engage with the community and assist our staff during these inspiring interactive events. Last month, SEEDs participants Camille and Jake co-facilitated our Painting and Block Printing Side by Side workshop which was open to the community.
CAMILLE
My name is Camille and I helped teach a painting workshop at SEEDS. On that day, I passed out the canvases to each person and I also designed the project everybody was working on. I designed a bird in its nest and everybody drew and painted it. I made sure everybody had clean water, helped them pick their paint and offered suggestions to make their drawings and paintings look better. I felt quite happy, confident and I look forward to teaching another painting class at SEEDS.
JAKE M.
On Saturday, January 26th I led a block printing workshop at Seeds for Autism. The theme was birdhouses. The students had the opportunity to learn from scratch. After the students made their birdhouse designs they printed them on greeting cards. I felt really good about the workshop because I got to pass on a skill to others.
SONJA
On Saturday the 26th of January Seeds hosted a whimsical Bird painting class open to the community. The Instructors for the class were Michele, who is also the Newsroom instructor, Richard and Camille. The process was first drawing out your idea on a piece of paper using a template as a guide in creating the bird. Next we began to sketch our drawings onto the canvas. Then we picked out the colors we wanted for our paintings. I did the bird first then the background and finally the little details to make it my own. It was a fun day and I can’t wait for the next painting class at Seeds.
CHRIS M.
I had a nice experience working at the Printmaking Workshop last Saturday. This was my very first time doing physical print designs that we put on cards. I was a little unsure about making prints at first, but I tired it out anyway. I learned how to carve out a design on an art plate called linoleum, then I learned how to paint the linoleum design with a roller and lastly I stamped the design onto some cards to finish and take home. I designed a greeting card with video game character Crash Bandicoot in it. I would like to try new things in future workshops.
Painting workshop participants pose with their beautiful artwork!
Print-making participants and their wonderful handmade greeting cards!
At SEEDs for Autism, our mission is to provide opportunities for those on the autism spectrum to engage with the community, develop job skills and reach their goals of finding employment! To help cultivate these important relationships and connections, SEEDs is now offering team building clinics for corporations, local businesses and the general public. Our team building clinics provide autism awareness education and engage dialog to discuss challenges and potential employment opportunities for our autism population. Built into these inspirational and educational clinics are mindfulness and collaboration with problem solving activities and creative projects.
Last month, we held our first Healthy Balance and Stress Management Workshop for the Life Care Center of Scottsdale. This team building clinic was co-facilitated by SEEDs participants Jake and Keri who were asked to share their experiences with us.
JAKE
On January 11th I helped lead a corporate workshop at Seeds for Autism. Corporate workshops are going to be a new feature for Seeds this year. The purpose of these workshops will be establishing team building. Friday’s workshop included activities led by Seeds staff that included yoga, tea tasting, figuring out how to keep a good state of mind, and making therapeutic zen packs. I co-led a student led tour of the facility and provided a student testimony. I think these workshops will be great for companies and corporations to get a better understanding of adults on the Autism Spectrum and how to effectively communicate with those individuals in a work environment.
KERI
Last month at Seeds we had aFind Your Corporate Zen Workshop for the Life Care Center of Scottsdale. We tasted three types of tea that we make at Seeds. Also, we did chair yoga and made a therapeutic Zen Pack. I helped with sewing. Then we had lunch from Mad Greens. I was a little anxious at the beginning, then not so anxious at the end. I’m looking forward to being part of more corporate events.
“Such an amazing experience to learn and participate in. It makes me want to come be a part of the classes and gives me a new perspective on how to approach my patients with patience.” Testimonial from Workshop Participant
The team LOVED their experience and has talked about how the insights gained from the session will help them in their approach with not only their patients, but also team-mates. They also talked about how amazing the campus is as well as your team. They were so impressed with it!
All workshops include autism awareness, a facility tour, refreshments and a “make and take” project. If you are interested in booking a Find Your Corporate Zen Workshop for your team, co-workers, family or friends please contact admin@seedsforautism.org
At SEEDs for Autism, our ongoing series of workshops provide new opportunities to empower our participants and encourage them to GROW. These talented young adults gain confidence interacting with the community as they assist our staff during these educational and inspirational events. We hope you will join us this Saturday to explore your creativity, make new friends and be part of this life-changing experience!
Click HERE to purchase tickets and reserve your spot today!
Writing poetry encourages creativity and self-expression. Poetry stirs the imagination and it is an excellent practice for strengthening writings skills, cultivating a strong vocabulary and learning to think outside the box. In this post, the participants at SEEDs for Autism use poetry to describe emotions through the window of their senses.
SEEDs for Autism is happy to provide organized recreational activities to empower those on the autism spectrum to explore their creativity, share new experiences, connect with others and GROW! At ALOHA DAYS, friends and family came together as a community to celebrate summer, learn about Hawaiian culture and have FUN! We asked some of our participants to share their experiences from this joyful and educational event.
CHRIS M
I went to Aloha Days at SEEDS with my parents. I spent my morning time playing “Topple” with Jeffery. I enjoyed playing, even though I was new to the game. Then my Mom convinced me to take part in one of the hula dances. I did try out the dance moves to make her proud. Then we got ready for Aloha Day lunch, which included teriyaki chicken, steamed rice, and fruit donuts. Overall, I had a nice time.
SONJA
Saturday the 11th of August I went to an event at Seeds for Autism called Aloha Days where we got to learn about the Hawaiian culture and dance the hula. My favorite part was doing the hula dancing. I loved how each dance tells a story about life and love. I got to eat a delicious pineapple donut and rice topped with chicken. I enjoyed myself a lot being able to hang out with friends and learn new things I didn’t know. I can’t wait for the next event coming soon!
DANIEL CH
I had fun at Aloha Day. I played volleyball with a Beach ball. I learned how to dance the Hula. My mom came and she ate Hawaiian food. I wore a Hawaiian shirt and played games. I made a sand castle and saw my friends at Seeds.
BRIAN
What I did at Aloha Days is relax and eat food and listen to music and play games.
Thanks to a generous grant from Thunderbird Charities, our Media Lab is the latest addition to the curriculum at SEEDs for Autism. This exciting department focuses on developing and practicing social skills through the use of technology and new media formats such as video production, animation and computer arts. Staying current with new innovations in communication and information, participants will utilize computers, cameras and video to share their stories, connect with others and document all the exciting things happening at SEEDs for Autism.
Scott (instructor) provides insight on the art of film-making
JAKE M.
Doing something new can be frightening. In some cases though, doing new things can be awesome if it pertains to something you’re passionate about. Seeds for Autism has added a new department called the Media Lab. Students like me get to learn about framing shots and how to operate video cameras. We also get to learn how to setup stories. I’ve always been a big movie fan. However, the purpose of the Seeds media lab is to record videos promoting Seeds products. I’m good with promoting Seeds. I feel the media lab will be great for me because it allows me to pursue my interest in video and production and it will allow me the opportunity to make more people aware about Seeds and what we do.
JEFF
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