A neurodiverse neighborhood in Park City is coming – Featured in Utah Business Magazine
When Liza Howell moved to Park City from her native North Carolina, she’d anticipated a short one-year sabbatical to capture time with family. 12 years later, some things have kept her in Utah, among them the stunning landscapes and outdoor recreation. However, the major draw was the resources available to her son Andy, who has autism.
After homeschooling Andy for five years, she took a chance on enrolling him in the Park City School District (PCSD) and found a welcoming environment with effective methods for assisting children with special needs. “I was blown away by the inclusiveness of the school district, and just the fact that the teachers were specialists,” says Howell.
Howell then became involved with the National Ability Center (NAC) and other citizens who shared her desire to provide life skills and resources to neurodivergent (ND) individuals, and individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (also known as IDD). Together, these concerned adults formed the Park City Housing and Transition Task Force which then became Bridge21, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit.
Howell, along with co-founders Stephanie Polukoff and Wes Stout, set their sights on a formidable goal: inclusive and affordable co-housing for ND individuals in a safe, active, community-integrated environment.
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Bridge21 Featured in the TownLift
Liza Howell and Stephanie Polikoff are Co-Founding Board Directors of Bridge 21 Park City. They’re addressing housing for the neurodiverse community in Park City, with a goal of having a variety of housing options so that when the population graduates out of The Learning Center, they have options of places to live and ways to plug into the community as independently as possible.
“We were founded as a nonprofit in 2021 and prior to that, we sprang out of a group of parents at the National Ability Center. We are a Park City housing and transition committee.” Howell told me.
Join us for our first Bridge 21 Circle Meet & Greet, June 2.
Are YOU a family of children with Autism or Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities?
Come join us for a meet and greet.
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