Front and Center

The Idaho CDHD recently hosted a free screening of Hearts of Glass.

This award-winning documentary tells the story of the first 15 months of Vertical Harvest – a state-of-the-art greenhouse in Jackson, Wyoming that provides produce to local residents and restaurants while offering meaningful, competitively paid employment opportunities to people with disabilities.

This film has been screened in 46 states and had more than 4000 broadcasts. We were honored to bring it to North Idaho for the first time.

Hearts of Glass explores themes of innovation, sustainability and disability rights. It also provides a blueprint for competitive integrated employment, which our Healthy Active Lifestyles project hopes to replicate.

The screening included a Q and A session with filmmaker Jennifer Tennican and Hannah Bouline and Johnny Fifles from Vertical Harvest. Questions from the curious audience touched on everything from how the innovative greenhouse featured in the film is powered to what keeps Hannah and Johnny going in their roles with Vertical Harvest.

The event was followed by a community discussion on the benefits of hydroponic farming. Guests were invited to explore resources and discuss future action that could lead to our own version of Vertical Harvest. The hope is to inspire interest among local businesses and community groups to start their own hydroponic farms. The long-term goal would be to develop a network of farms that could eventually support sustainable food security and competitively paid employment for people with disabilities across the Palouse.

While the latter may be a few years off, with 114 interested community members attending the screening, we may be closer than we think!

“I hope that our engagement with the community will bring us together to center individuals with disabilities in our efforts to create a more equitable workforce and sustainable future,” said Kincaid Moberly, event organizer.

Healthy Active Lifestyles already runs programming based on hydroponics, with a small-scale garden right here in our own CDHD kitchen. The project provides free workshops where participants can learn more about hydroponics through cultivating and harvesting plants. The workshops are open to everyone, including people with disabilities.

LEARN ABOUT

HEARTS OF GLASS

Check out the Hearts of Glass website to learn more about the film and host a screening!

Learn more

HEALTHY ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

Get more information about the Healthy Active Lifestyles project, including workshop schedules.

Get more info

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WANT TO LEARN MORE?

If you're interested in learning more about future hydroponic Initiatives, you can can contact us.

Email Erik Luvaas

Meet our new CAC Chair and Vice Chair

Mike Gates and Noel Garcia have been named Chair and Vice Chair of our Community Advisory Committee (CAC). They will help guide meetings, ensuring people with disabilities have a prominent voice in advising the CDHD.

Hear from the leadership duo

Side by side images of two men. The man on the left is smiling and looking at the camera. He is wearing a hat glasses and blue t-shirt. The man on the right is smiling broadly and sitting in a wheelchair. He is wearing a dress shirt and pants.

A group of women are standing on a stage. There is also a woman sitting in a wheelchair. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. One woman is presenting another woman with an award.

Pinwheel Award for IdahoSTARS

IdahoSTARS received this year's Pinwheel Award at the Strengthening Families Institute. This award recognizes contributions in preventing child abuse and neglect. The Project was nominated for their work with the Pyramid Model framework. This reflects the commitment of childcare providers, families and partners in supporting every child.

My Tools for Life wrap-up

My Tools for Life welcomed students to Moscow last month for two full days of learning and fun. Check out the wrap-up report for all the details on how this year’s event helped students with disabilities plan for life after high school.

View the report

artAbility Showcase

The 11th annual artAbility Showcase kicked off earlier this week. The gallery-style event brought together participants, family members, friends, artists and the local community to celebrate another year of artistic expression in the local community.

View the wrap-up video

ORED winners

Congratulations to Melissa Crist and Mark Sweeny for being recognized at the University of Idaho ORED awards this month. They received the Top Expenditures/F&A Award and Top Departmental Grant Administrator Award respectively. This is in recognition of their efforts in securing grants to continue research and programming that benefit communities across the state.

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We want to hear from you!

We need your feedback on the Idaho CDHD website. Explore our site. Then click the link on the homepage to take our one-question website satisfaction survey.

Visit the CDHD website

Checking in with our student trainees

A group of people both with and without disabilities gather together at the Capitol Building Rotunda in Boise. They are all looking at a person standing in front of them speaking into a microphone.

Disability Awareness Day

Hear from one of our trainees on how Fred Riggers Disability Awareness Day enriched his time at the CDHD, while offering valuable insight that will help shape his future career as an educator.

Read about the experience

Accessibility at UI research results

CDHD student trainee Kincaid Moberly has been working with Dr Erik Luvaas on exploring accessibility on the University of Idaho campus through the experiences of students with and without disabilities. Read all about his findings.