As Founder and Board Chair of The Helix School for students with autism spectrum disorder, Marjorie McMorris and her husband, Penn Trustee Marc F. McMorris, C’90, WG’94, understand that education partnerships are essential for giving all children a strong foundation in life. In 2014, they teamed up with Drs. David Mandell and Robert Schultz to launch the McMorris Autism Early Intervention Initiative, which funds pilot research initiatives and the McMorris Fellows: junior faculty, postdoctoral Fellows, doctoral students, and undergraduates who lead those projects. Today the McMorris Fellows are using new tools — including artificial intelligence to analyze speech, facial expressions, and other nonverbal communications — to identify potentially successful interventions.
The McMorrises followed that with a leadership gift to advance a bold vision for an inclusive preschool that builds on Penn’s success as the world’s premier site for conducting community-based studies on autism intervention and a more than decade-long partnership with the School District of Philadelphia.
When fully operational, the Ability Academy at Penn will be able to meet the needs of 225 children, offering both full and half-day preschool. A long-term goal is to train and support Philadelphia School District staff and community-based preschool and daycare providers in effective, inclusive practices, ensuring that the community is better prepared to serve children with autism. The Academy will also train the next generation of educators, researchers, and clinicians, including Penn students from undergraduates to postdoctoral fellows.
As Mandell, a professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Penn, explains, “If we can create a new model through our partnership with the Philadelphia School District — the nation’s eighth largest — imagine the impact we will make nationwide.”
Inspire With Your Impact: Support the Ability Academy at Penn
University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) CEO Kevin B. Mahoney has been a formidable champion for the project, including offering matching gifts from UPHS. “The Ability Academy’s commitment to working with the community and bringing evidence-based care to autistic children represents the very best of our institution,” he says.
Philanthropic donors can now help bring this vision to life. Naming gift opportunities include the Academy’s playground, kitchen, and STEM classroom.
Gifts also can help grow the students’ interdisciplinary care teams through the Parent and Caregiver Training Program. The Academy will provide tuition assistance for families of typically developing students; philanthropic support will be central to maximizing that access. The Academy also could benefit from social impact investing by those interested in strengthening the educational, social, and economic framework of West Philadelphia.
By giving all children a strong foundation rooted in acceptance, encouragement, and active engagement, the Ability Academy at Penn will foster the growth of life-long learners and compassionate citizens. You’re invited to contact Paige O’Malley at 267-838-0660 or pomalley@upenn.edu to learn more.