2025-2026 Innovative Grant Program Recipients

Toy and Miniature Stories at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

(Kansas City, MO )

Toy and Miniature Stories is a monthly museum program designed for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. By engaging with nostalgic objects from the museum’s collection, the program will foster joy, connection, and cognitive stimulation through shared storytelling and sensory-based activities.

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Held on quiet Tuesday afternoons when the museum is closed to the public, Toy and Miniature will include small group discussions led by trained docents using Visual Thinking Strategies, followed by a hands-on creative activity and refreshments. Participants will be invited to explore the galleries before the program begins, and each session will conclude with a themed takeaway item that will extend the experience beyond the museum.

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To increase accessibility, the program is free of charge and supported by partnerships with the Alzheimer’s Association and the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. 

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A new outreach initiative, Toy and Miniature Stories On the Go, will be introduced to this museum program, bringing it to local library branches near senior communities and broadening its impact.

Rooted in the I’m Still Here philosophy, Toy and Miniature Stories offers meaningful engagement in a safe, inclusive environment. Caregivers have consistently reported that their loved ones feel valued and included. The new element to the museum program will expand and enhance training, ensure long-term sustainability, and broaden community reach.

Generations in Bloom at Theo’s Flowers

(Medfield, MA)

Generations in Bloom by Theo’s Flowers is a passion project by sisters whose parents died of Alzheimer's Disease. They will collaborate with Greater Boston middle and high schools to have youth in community service-learning programs work with senior-living facilities and events where flowers were used for celebrations or other purposes to repurpose the flowers and create them into handcrafted bouquets to be delivered to seniors with dementia. Each bouquet will include a handwritten note from a middle or high school student, along with their photograph and a brief description of their own life and hobbies, fostering empathy and intergenerational connection.

Rooted in the I’m Still Here approach, this program emphasizes present-moment joy through sensory-rich experiences of color, scent, and touch. It will reduce floral waste, uplift isolated seniors, and offer youth meaningful service opportunities that build awareness and compassion.

Honoring Native American Elders – Poetry on Wheels hosted by The Illinois St. Andrew Society, dba Chicago Scots and Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care (Oneida Nation, WI)

Honoring Native American Elders – Poetry on Wheels is an innovative, culturally responsive arts program designed for individuals of the Oneida Nation living with dementia, their families, and care partners. Developed by the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project (APP), the program adapts APP’s award-winning techniques—call and response, discussion, sensory props, and caring questions—for rural Northern Wisconsin.

The program will comprise three components: monthly Poetry Parties, Poetry Booklets, and Art Support Calls. Poetry Parties, held at the Oneida Community Health Center, will foster joyful, interactive sessions that utilize poems, songs, and stories. Participants will also receive Poetry Booklets featuring works like those in When the Light of the World Was Subdued, along with prompts that will spark original, multisensory creative responses. Art Support Calls will extend engagement at home.

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Led by the APP founder, the program aligns with the I’m Still Here principles, emphasizing presence, meaning, and community inclusion. It aims to reduce social isolation and improve quality of life through creative expression. Surveys from a previous pilot showed 86% of participants felt bonded to facilitators, and 88% enjoyed performing poems. Community collaborators support outreach, and the program is scalable via training, online resources, and replication in other Indigenous communities.

Pre-School Library Partners at Paw Paw District Library

(Paw Paw, MI)

Since 2018, the Paw Paw District Library has hosted a monthly Memory Café for individuals with mild to moderate dementia and their caregivers. Participants enjoy brain games, music, and refreshments in a relaxed, welcoming space. Recently, the library partnered with Great Start, a local early childhood program, for intergenerational activities such as sing-alongs and arts and crafts. With support from ISH, the library will introduce an Octaband—a sensory engagement tool—for use during Café sessions, outreach visits, and future child-adult programs. These shared experiences will reduce isolation and strengthen community bonds.

Singing Your Memories at Valley Oak Respite Center

(Danville ,CA)

​This is the only dementia day program in a 30-mile radius. Participants will attend weekly live music sessions led by a professional musician. With lyrics projected onscreen, attendees will sing or hum along to beloved classics, from Sinatra to folk songs. The program will integrate memory-sharing and emotional expression, as participants and staff will reflect on the songs’ meanings. Staff and volunteers will actively participate—sometimes in costume—making each session lively and inclusive. A dementia-focused therapist will further enhance their therapeutic value.

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How to Incubate Your Program hosted by R Place

(Chapel Hill, NC)

This project will expand the successful R Place group respite model to a second, secular, volunteer-led site through a community partnership. Launched in September 2023 by the Orange County Department on Aging (OCDOA), R Place is North Carolina’s first secular implementation of the Respite for All (RFA) model, which offers joyful, person-centered programming for people living with dementia (PLWD), while providing respite for caregivers and meaningful engagement for volunteers.

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Meeting weekly, R Place engages participants in music, art, movement, and social connection with a 1:1 or 1:2 volunteer ratio, fostering dignity, autonomy, and belonging. The program integrates I’m Still Here principles and has grown from 10 to 15 participants and now 30 dedicated volunteers. Volunteers, caregivers, and participants report significant emotional, social, and quality-of-life benefits.

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The incubator project will replicate this model in a new location, adapted to meet local cultural needs. An implementation team—including the R Place director, student interns, volunteers, and incubation site leadership—will co-design the new program. The project includes hands-on training, startup resources, program design, volunteer recruitment, and community engagement through events and Memory Cafés.

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Research and evaluation are integral to the project. A UNC Health Policy & Management student is conducting a qualitative study of the R Place experience, and new sites will implement data collection and pre-post surveys. Outcomes and implementation steps will be documented to support the development of a guidebook for wider replication.

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This project will strengthen access to community-based dementia care and serve as a replicable model for other rural and diverse communities, while proudly promoting the I’m Still Here Foundation’s support across media and outreach platforms.

Celebrating Ugandan Elders at the Waltham Africano Cultural Services (Waltham, MA)

Africano Waltham serves Ugandan immigrants in and around Waltham, MA, building trust over 15 years through culturally grounded programming. Initially focused on youth, Africano expanded during the pandemic to serve all ages, becoming a vital food pantry site and social hub. Many elders, or "Jajas," are isolated, having immigrated from Uganda and worked in caregiving while supporting extended families. Although they understand English, they are most comfortable in Luganda, so we provide interpretation and translation services.

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For the past two years, Africano has partnered with Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging to host a weekly Golden Years program for older Ugandans. Each Tuesday, 15–40 Jajas engage in culturally meaningful activities—dance, crafts, food, singing, and storytelling—that naturally align with I’m Still Here (ISH) dementia care principles. More than 120 elders have participated. Guest speakers from organizations like JF&CS, Healthy Waltham, and Springwell provide education on services and benefits.

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With support from the ISH Foundation, Celebrating Ugandan Elders initiative will deepen dementia-friendly programming for elders, caregivers, and community partners. They will build outreach strategies and co-create new activities for persons living with dementia (PLWD), including intergenerational projects and home-based engagement. 

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Africano’s community connections and culturally tailored model make it ideal for engaging private, underserved elders and families in dementia-inclusive care. The program will offer a strong model for replication by partner organizations, including Latino senior programming at the Waltham Senior Center.

Mind-Body Dance Connections with the Early Alzheimer’s Foundation

(New York, NY)

Mind-Body Dance Connections is a new initiative by the Early Alzheimer's Foundation for seniors with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and will be offered at two Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) in NYC: Morningside Gardens and River Terrace. Building on the Memory Tree programs currently offered weekly at these sites, this project will introduce Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form that uses gesture, facial expression, and storytelling. Each site will host eight bi-weekly 90-minute sessions combining 45 minutes of dance with 45 minutes of visual artmaking, culminating in a celebratory performance and art exhibit.

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This program will integrate movement and creativity, activating brain regions associated with memory, emotion, and reward. Sessions will be inclusive of both seated and standing participants, promoting self-expression through dance and sculpture. Caregivers and community members will be invited to participate in and attend the final events.

Led holistically by a licensed certified social worker, neuroscientist, dancer, and art therapist, the program aims to engage 30 participants, achieving a 75% retention rate. Outcomes will be measured through pre- and post-surveys, as well as caregiver feedback. Designed to be replicable, this model will provide a flexible framework for integrating art forms to support individuals living with dementia from underserved populations and in diverse community settings.

Writers Workshop Retreats sponsored by the International Women's Writing Guild

​(Kingston, NY)

The Writers Workshop Retreats will expand on the successful ISH-supported 2024 retreat by integrating creative expression and wellness for women with early-onset dementia and their caregivers. Set in tranquil Kingston, NY, the retreat will offer workshops in writing, music, art, yoga, meditation, and guided walks—all designed to promote cognitive health, emotional resilience, and caregiver self-care. ISH will primarily support the writing elements.

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Inspired by the I’m Still Here principles, activities will focus on authentic, present-moment engagement without requiring memory or performance. Caregivers will benefit from restorative practices and shared support. The retreats will prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, and community building in a peaceful, natural setting.

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Running from May 2025 through May 2026, the program will include follow-up writing circles, online workshops, and a culminating reading and art exhibit. It will notably support underserved women and families facing memory loss, fostering creative connections and empowerment throughout every stage of the journey.

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