News and Knowledge

August was a fast-paced and exciting month as OAR supporters from all over the country and overseas rallied to support OAR and its Hire Autism program in The Encore Prize: Generation to Generation Challenge, a national competition that will award $50,000 each to two winners with innovative ideas for engaging people over 50 in improving the lives of vulnerable children and youth.

In July, OAR emerged as one of 15 semifinalists from an initial field of 180 applicants based on its plan to engage people over 50 as Hire Autism advocates to assist and guide jobseekers with autism to meaningful jobs that match their skills and interests. Encore opened voting for finalists to the general public in August.

Making maximum use of every form of communication, including social media; e-mail; viral campaigning; and personal outreach by OAR staff, board and Scientific Council members, and hundreds of OAR supporters, OAR finished first on the final day of voting, tallying more than 4,600 votes and winning by just 162 votes. Finishing first guaranteed OAR/Hire Autism a place in the finals to be held October 16 in Boston.

“We are thrilled to be in the finals,” says Mike Maloney, OAR executive director. “It seemed like a long shot when we first applied, but the response from the OAR community in the public voting period catapulted us to first place. So, it’s on to the finals in Boston!”

In Boston, five Encore Prize finalists will pitch their ideas in front of a live audience. A distinguished panel of judges will select one of the two $50,000 winners. Judges include:

• Soledad O’Brien, broadcast journalist and co-founder of the PowHERful Foundation
• Chip Conley, author and founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality
• Obie McKensie, managing director at Blackrock
• Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s and president of Daily Table

The other $50,000 winner will be chosen by his or her fellow competitors.

Naina Chernoff will travel to Boston to present the OAR/Hire Autism pitch. She is an autism mom and a long-time OAR supporter having served as newsletter editor, marathoner, special event host, and resource reviewer, to name a few of the jobs she has taken on for OAR.

“The public voting demonstrated the power of the autism community when it comes together,” says Maloney. “If The Encore Prize people think that was powerful, wait until they hear the words that flow from the heart of an impassioned autism mom in Boston!  I can’t wait.”

OAR is not waiting until the finals are over to get started on the Hire Autism advocates program. During August, Nora Liebold, Hire Autism intern, and Diane Lingenfelter, manager, Hire Autism marketing and outreach, drafted the job description and outlined a concept for a training/orientation program for the advocates. OAR plans to present the program to the board of directors in October and announce it by the end of the month. OAR’s goal is to engage 10 advocates between November 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. Anyone interested in Hire Autism or in becoming a Hire Autism advocate should contact Lingenfelter at dlingenfelter@researchautism.org.