Islands of Brilliance is turning 10! You're invited to help us celebrate!
When we held our first workshop 10 years ago at Discovery World, we had a simple yet groundbreaking premise:
Rather than ask students to adapt to a specific learning environment, we created the ideal environment.
In 2021, Islands of Brilliance offered a total of 661 programming sessions, representing a total of 4,584 student enrollments. That’s a more than 30 percent increase over 2020!
We know we've got the chance to support even more students and families. But we can't do it alone.
You have the power to help us.
Gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations are essential for bridging the gap between what families pay in tuition and program fees and the true cost of serving each student annually. This philanthropic support accounts for approximately 60 percent of our operating budget.
In celebration of our 10 year anniversary, we are setting out to achieve yet another milestone.
Our mission: Raise $20,000 in donations between now and November 10!
You have the ability to make a great impact, even if you can’t personally donate a large amount yourself. We know the idea of fundraising can be intimidating, but you don’t need to be a pro to participate. We’ve made it easy.
Join the Power of Ten Fundraising Challenge Today!
We are inviting participants to commit to finding 10 people (aka friends, family, neighbors, classmates, colleagues and the like) to each donate $20 to IOB from October 31 - November 9.
That's 10 donations over 10 days…
One $20 donation per day for a total of $200 raised per participant.
We'll give you the ideas and tools to promote on social and/or email.
And we'll give each Power of Ten Fundraising Challenger, one free pass to Colors & Chords! Talk about a win-win!
Getting started is as easy as 1, 2, 3…4!
There are a bunch of great resources in the fundraising kit as well as below!
Step one: Create your fundraising page & set your fundraising goal.
Step two: Review the Power of Ten Fundraising Challenge Kit OR the CliffsNotes version!
Step three: Make a 10-day plan to reach 10 people.
Step four: Share and show gratitude to those who have donated!
Did we just hear you say, “challenge accepted?!” Awesome.
Our downloadable Power of Ten Fundraising Challenge Kit is full of information, ideas, and images to help get you started on a brilliant path.
Want the CliffsNotes version for the 10-Day Challenge? This has ideas for social media posts, emails, and texts to send! Download here.
Downloadable Social Posts.
Right-click and save the individual images or download all of them at once with the button below.
Downloadable Icons to use in your posts and emails.
Right-click and save the individual images or download all of them at once with the button below.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Don’t you wish it was worth $1,000?!
We know visuals can make all of the difference. That’s why the team at IOB has provided a library of images and videos for you to use as you tell your story.
A Place to Thrive
If you’re searching for a program that was specifically designed for the strengths of autistic individuals, you’ve come to the right place. Islands of Brilliance offers three different layers of programming options, all of which leverage creativity and unique interests to help build self confidence and social communication skills.
Brilliant Voices
The first in a series of documentary projects on the voice of autistic youth and young adults involved in Islands of Brilliance.
Meet James!
From Foundation Workshops to Digital Academy, we've seen James not only grow his design and social skills, but gain tremendous confidence thanks to this supportive and one-of-a-kind community.
"I feel very valued. It's very exciting, especially for me, because it feels like you're making a strong impact in the real world."
A Funder’s Story:
Bader Philanthropies
When Brandon Wigley from Bader Philanthropies saw the Digital Academy in action, he immediately saw confidence — both in the students but with the employers that were engaged in the program as well. Learn why this is so important to the IOB and Milwaukee communities by watching Brandon's story.
A Mentor's Perspective: Allison
Allison found the perfect balance while mentoring at IOB – she's able to blend her creativity alongside her desire to teach and help students. And while the students have learned so much from her, Allison has realized she's learned something too. Over time, she's seen that when you approach situations with a different perspective, the outcomes can be amazing.
Meet Shayne!
Shayne is a brilliant young artist with a knack for creating goofy creatures. His love of cartoons and endless creativity fuel his desire to learn new ways to express himself and show his gifts to the world. He hopes that more students can experience Islands of Brilliance because for him, it's been revolutionary.
A Community Partner’s Story: Serpentijn Art & Athletics
A designer by trade, Jason Reimer knows good design when he sees it. And when he saw the jersey ideas that the Digital Academy students created, he was blown away by their imagination and skill. But most importantly, he immediately recognized their amazing potential.
Every donation makes a difference.
It doesn’t matter how much you raise because every donation helps IOB provide the very best programming and support to the students we serve.
$50: Provides access to Natterdays—led by a master storyteller—for two students
$100: Provides a month of Doodle Lounge access for one student
$250: Provides ten students with access to a Smactitivies workshop
$500: Funds one mentor for a Digital Academy sprint session
$1,000: Supports 50 hours of 1:1 mentoring for students
$2,500: Provides tuition assistance to families in need through the Brilliant Fund
$5,000: Funds two months of special education, occupational therapy and speech pathology support for distance learning programs
$10,000: Funds a safe, secure and stable distance learning technology platform necessary to delivery content virtually