New Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program Strives to Empower Nh Youth with Disabilities, Special Needs


credit:

A New Hampshire police department is offering free Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes this summer to kids with autism and Down syndrome, the Union Leader reports.

Detective David Lisboa, originally from Brazil, works in the domestic violence and sexual assault investigation unit at the Manchester Police Department, but he's also had experience working with people with high-functioning autism.

A similar program in Rio de Janeiro inspired him to open one in New Hampshire.

He says there are very few programs like this in New England.

Lisboa says jiu-jitsu is known for its focus on technique and leverage rather than physical strength, which is beneficial for people in wheelchairs, too.

He says the moment people with disabilities step onto the mat, they experience a transformation.

"It is amazing the impact it has on their personality and just on their overall behavior," he says.

"The curriculum will consider each person's unique needs, abilities, and will advance at the participant's pace.

The program also aims to create a family support system and provide a meeting space to create friendships.

To ensure the program reaches those who can benefit most, he is spreading the word in the Manchester School District and on Instagram, but he hopes people from all towns sign up. Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

The Impact Investing Case for Telecom Companies

"We are so used to being almost permanently online that we don't really appreciate what we have and do not really know what to do when we're not," Joni Mitchell wrote in her 1970s song "Big Yellow...more

5 Ways to Guide Clients on Esg and Impact Investing

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has gained popularity in recent years as clients seek to align their investments with their values and promote positive change in the...more

Leading Impact Investors and Philanthropists Convene for
Foundation: Silicon Valley Community Foundation, California Endowment

In 2024, Los Angeles will host the Mission Investors Exchange 2024 National Conference, an annual conference that brings together more than 750 philanthropy and impact investing leaders from across...more

Leading Impact Investors and Philanthropists Convene for Mission Investors Exchange 2024 ...
Foundation: California Community Foundation, California Endowment

Ava DuVernay financed her latest film with money from the Giving Pledgean initiative of the California Endowment, the largest US foundation to commit its entire $4 billion portfolio to social and...more

Leading Impact Investors and Philanthropists Convene for Mission Investors Exchange 2024

In what may be a first for a major US city, Los Angeles has been chosen as the site of the 2024 Mission Investors Exchange National Conference, a conference that will focus on "investing in social...more

Dentsu Creative Joins Forces with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (Geapp ...

"No one country and no one organization can achieve this alone," says GEAPP Chief Communications Officer Kate Wills. "This is why we are committed to forming an ever widening and diverse alliance...more

Wilkes Center Announces 7 Finalists for $500K Climate Launch Prize

The University of Utah's Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy has narrowed its list of finalists for its $500,000 Climate Launch Prize to seven. The goal of the prize, which is one of the...more

The Growth of Social Enterprises €” For-Profit Businesses That Tackle a Social Problem

"Having a purposeful job actually does transform someone's life," says Edwin Walsh, who runs a social enterprise in Australia called Assembled Threads. "You actually are moving someone from...more

Youth-Led Startups Showcase Sustainable Development Solutions at the Youth Social ...
Foundation: Citi Foundation

"To the youth, I urge you to be proactive, resilient, and persistent on your entrepreneurial journey," says the UN's resident representative in the Philippines. "Make your voices heard, take up...more

Canada and India Announce Funding for Innovations to Improve Child Health

Canada is putting its money where its mouth is, with a $2.5 million investment in five projects in India meant to help the country's poor, the Toronto Star reports. "Many of these novel projects...more





Ganesh Natarajan is the Founder and Chairman of 5FWorld, a new platform for funding and developing start-ups, social enterprises and the skills eco-system in India. In the past two decades, he has built two of India’s high-growth software services companies – Aptech and Zensar – almost from scratch to global success.