The Rising Start Foundation

The Rising Start Foundation

Who we are: The Rising Start Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Academic and Life/Worforce Readiness Program serving middle and high school-aged students and young adults (ages 12-22+) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related developmental disabilities in Miami-Dade.

The problem we’re trying to solve is a big one. One of the most underserved segments of our ASD community in South Florida are neurodivergent middle and high school-aged students and young adults struggling to find a place for themselves as they approach full adulthood aspiring to become  fully contributing members of our community.  Studies (Shattuck et al.) have found that youth with Autism are at high risk for being unengaged in either postsecondary education or employment during the first 2 years after high school. Unemployment for ASD adults is up to 10 times higher than for neurotypical adults and 5 times higher than other disabled populations.  We are working hard to fix this with our programs:                

See Our Featured Campaigns Below

How Are We Trying To Solve It?

We start early when we can.  Our TRS Middle & High School Micro-Schooling curriculum and after-school programs  laser-focus on  preparing students for the next stage of their journey. During middle school and early high school years we combine core math, language arts, science and social studies with life, and social skills classes to better prepare them for the next stage of the TRS Program.   

As they move through the high school years we integrate entrepreneurship and workforce readiness courses and workshops with their academic studies giving them a head start in prepaing for future employment or further post-secondary training. 

Finally, our recently established Center For Neurodiverse Innovation & Entrepreneurship provides "hands on" tools and experiences for students to discover and explore avenues for innovative entrepreneurial and/or employment opportunities driven by their own very unique interests and talents.

Most of our families need financial support to provide their children with the opportunity to significantly improve their life outcomes.  Check out our featured campaigns at the links below to donate to specific programs or click on the button directly below to fund our Scholarship Program. For more detail visit us at www.therisingstart.org.   Your generosity can make a big difference in an autistic student's or young adult's life...and their families.

                   See Our Featured Campaigns Below                           

We Experiment & Innovate

We have to try something different.  We recently launched our new Culinary and Nutrition Program together with our Neurodiversity Fights Food Insecurity Initiative.  These programs are designed to introduce our participants to the Culinary and Hospitality Industy in preparation for the launch of our Advanced Rising Start Social Enterprise Culinary Project in early 2025.  

Additionally, for February 2025, we are launching our Rising Start-Up Incubator, partly funded by a generous Innovation Grant from The Children's Trust.  The Incubator will provide, innovation & entrepreneurship programs,  start-up development tools and mentoring, culminating in a May 2025 "Showcase" displaying the talents of our participants and providing initial start-up funding to the most promising neurodiverse entrepreneurial teams.