Stories & Impact
"I hope to make it clear just how positive of an experience it was for [my son] to work with you over the summer. Having the job helped me to see a more mature, more responsible side of my [son]. He gained a newfound confidence that I have not seen in him before.”
- Parent of a Summer Job Skills Program Participant
“I really noticed a change in all the program participants throughout the summer. Overall, everything is smoother because they’ve learned how to cooperate and work together.”
– Summer Job Skills Program Mentor
"The program helped reduce my social anxiety”
– Summer Job Skills Program Participant
“I met one of Achieve’s program participants who is now working at a restaurant. He told me he wouldn’t have had the confidence to even apply for the job had it not been for Achieve’s program.”
– Community Member
"This is my first job and it really helped me ..."
– October 31, 2023 article in the Tenderfoot Times by Kendra Poplin
Impact: Historically, through surveys, we’ve determined that over 80% of participants have reported improvement in personal, social, and key job skills. Of the graduates Achieve has been able to track since 2017, 88% have been able to obtain meaningful employment. Significantly, only 58% of young adults (in their early 20s) with autism have ever worked, let alone obtained meaningful employment.