One Piece of Information Can Make All the Difference

When Speech Language Pathologist Nicole Edwards returned from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference last year, she didn’t wait to put what she’d learned into practice. Within days, she was applying new techniques with the families she serves and seeing results. “I can’t capture how much the conference improved my clinical practice,” she said. “It is amazing how one piece of information can make such a difference in the service I provide.”

Nicole’s conference attendance was made possible by the Robert M. Stern Fund, established in 2009 to honor one of Strawberry Fields’ earliest champions. Robert Stern served on the Board of Directors from 1972 to 1997 and helped the organization grow from inclusive camps on a small farm in Yarnell to 17 residential and community-based programs serving more than 1,300 children, families, and individuals. The fund carries his commitment forward through staff development grants, small investments that strengthen practice across Early Intervention, Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services, Mental Health, and our Social Enterprises.

Since its inception, the Stern Fund has awarded 81 grants totaling more than $26,000. At roughly $320 per grant, it is among the most efficient ways to improve the quality of care at Strawberry Fields, removing barriers to training, supporting shared learning, and giving staff access to the tools and knowledge that show up in everyday practice.

That kind of impact looks different in every program. At Good Day Café, the Stern Fund sent employees and staff to the Pennsylvania Chocolate and Coffee Festival for a full day. The team explored booths, spent time in the coffee lab, and came away dreaming about new possibilities for the café. Social Enterprise Supervisor Katie Feliz said the group came home “wiped but energized from the ideas, the products, and learning together.”

The 2026 grants have now been awarded, and this year’s investments reach even further. Fifteen Direct Support Professionals will pursue national certification through a nine-month credentialing program. Fifteen frontline supervisors will complete a management training boot camp. Therapists will attend specialized training in pediatric feeding disorders and infant massage. Each grant opens a door to stronger, more informed practice.

As Nicole put it, “It’s amazing how just one piece of information can make all the difference.” Eighty-one grants later, the Stern Fund keeps proving her right.