Happy Valley FitLink is an inclusive wellness program for neurodiverse individuals (intellectual disabilities, Autism, cerebral palsy). Our vision is to build an inclusive community where individuals with intellectual disabilities express themselves through movement.

We provide weekly adapted fitness classes for all ages and serve as an educational resource for participants and their families/caregivers through wellness seminars focused on whole-body health. We also hold special events to allow our group to experience other recreational opportunities availible in the State College area like fly fishing, pickle ball, rock climbing, and disc golf. Our program is entirely volunteer-run, and all services are free. We partner with PSU interns who help lead classes and support our seminars; many go on to careers in healthcare and other people-facing professions, where this experience shapes their ability to provide more inclusive, patient-centered care and advocate for improved accessibility for individuals with IDD across clinical and community settings.

We offer 4 weekly fitness classes: cardio drumming at Grace Lutheran Church in State College, group fitness at the State College YMCA, and two virtual classes for participants inside and outside the area. We also provide two weekly wellness education classes for LifelinkPSU, a special education classroom on Penn State’s campus.

Participation remains strong, but we have not updated equipment since 2021. We are also serving individuals with greater support needs and require funding to purchase new equipment and modify existing materials to improve accessibility, especially for participants unable to hold pool noodles used in drumming.

Since 2021, we have held 250+ fitness classes, 100+ wellness seminars, and hosted 40+ PSU student interns. We are seeking funding from 3 Dots to continue providing high-quality, inclusive wellness programming to the State College community.