Long Beach students raise money for autism

Courtesy Long Beach School District

Students from the Best Pals organization and Life Skills program gathered with staff members in the commons area of Long Beach High School, where a puzzle banner representing Autism Awareness Month hung in April.

Courtesy Long Beach School District

In observance of Autism Awareness Month in April, Long Beach High School supported efforts coordinated by the Best Pals extracurricular club.

The organization facilitates initiatives that connect general education students with those in the Life Skills program, which serves a large population of teens with autism. Best Pal’s objective is to provide socialization events and activities for the students in the Life Skills program. Throughout April, high school students sold t-shirts to help fund these efforts, which included holiday parties and yoga and Zumba workshops. They raised more than $1,500.

The t-shirts were designed by student Armano Nunez and printed by Spectrum Designs Foundation, a nonprofit apparel production company that provides employment opportunities to individuals with autism. The Life Skills and Best Pals teams worked together to sell, package and distribute purchased T-shirts to staff members throughout the district.

Students also decorated puzzle pieces to represent autism awareness. The individual pieces were connected to create a puzzle banner that was displayed in the commons area.