Idaho Parents Unlimited, Inc.

1878 West Overland Road
Boise, Idaho 83705

Evelyn Mason
Executive Director

Tel.: (208) 342-5884
Fax: (208) 342-1408

Organizational Profile:

Full-time Staff: 1
Part-time Staff: 6
Volunteer Hours: 1–2 hours/month
Projected Total 2008
Income: $102,000
(including in-kind contributions)
Direct Participants: 13,168
Indirect Participants: 228

Teacher demonstrating artwork techniques to young students in a classroom

Idaho Parents Unlimited (IPUL) supports, empowers, educates, and advocates to enhancement of the quality of life for the residents of Idaho with disabilities and their families. Through its VSA arts of Idaho programming, IPUL seeks to empower people with disabilities and to engage them in the creative process through opportunities that are fully inclusive, educational, and participatory.

Programming Partners and Other Funders:

Idaho State Department of Education; Idaho Commission on the Arts; Boise City Arts Commission; Gene Harris Jazz Festival

Educational Programs and Artist Residencies

Creative Access: An Artist-in-Residence Program

The Creative Access program has developed 64 arts in education residencies in Idaho since 1998. The Idaho program has grown to include school districts throughout the state and has produced annual in-depth evaluations on the program and outcomes for individual students and schools. This program provides greatly needed art supplies and other materials along with the paid time of a professional artist to support a fine arts experience in local schools. All program activities are available to students with special needs.

Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services

Cultural Access Activities and Services

Through its new partnerships with the Gene Harris Jazz Festival and the Idaho Shakespeare Festival and, in the past, with Ballet Idaho and the Arts for Kids programs, IPUL works with various arts groups and partners to provide technical assistance and support that increase cultural access to large events and ongoing local arts programs. Services include assisting organizations to design programs and activities with appropriate supports for people with disabilities; developing behavioral support strategies for students; identifying the appropriate resources for various types of accommodations and/or supports; providing training to artists and administrators on support strategies, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and potential accommodations; and conducting event site surveys. Currently, all cultural access services and activities take place in Treasure Valley, reaching the capital city of Boise and the surrounding areas.

Public Awareness and Outreach

Public Awareness and Outreach Activities

IPUL will carry out several public awareness and outreach activities to bring the opportunities provided under its VSA arts programming to the target audience. Activities include articles in the IPUL quarterly newsletter that reach more than 8,500 families of children with disabilities; updating the VSA arts of Idaho Web page; updating and disseminating the VSA arts of Idaho state program brochures to constituents to alert them of opportunities and about the incorporation of VSA arts activities under IPUL; and presentations to local artists’ groups and disability organizations.