[NFBNJ] BELL Academy Info And Request For Sponsorship

Tue Apr 4 03:46:49 UTC 2017

Greetings to all!
As you read below, the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey's BELL 
Academy is proud to announce our fourth BELL Academy for 2017.
Please share with others the information highlighting the program and take 
notice to the request for sponsorship.
Thanking all in advance for your continued support to raise expectations to 
live the life we want and to transform dreams into reality!

We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org
Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.
Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
www.carshelpingtheblind.org
or call 855 659 9314

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BELL Academy Info And Request For Sponsorship 2017

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NFB BELL Academy logo

The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey (NFBNJ) will be 
sponsoring its fourth BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy & Learning) 
Academy to be
held weekdays, July 17 through July 28, 2017 between the hours of 9:00 am 
and 3:00 pm. The program will be held at the Puerto Rican Association for
Human
Development (PRAHD), Inc. located at:
101 First Street
Perth Amboy, New Jersey 08861

The BELL Academy provides instruction in Braille and daily living skills to 
children ages 4 through 12 who have lacked the opportunity and sufficient 
exposure
to these important areas. In addition, the children will form new 
friendships with other visually impaired/blind children and adults, go on 
field trips,
and interact with sighted children who attend the PRAHD’s own summer 
program.

The children will be taught by a certified Braille transcriber with 13 years 
of experience. They will have access to blind adults that serve as mentors
and facilitators of our program.

Our goal is to enable the children to live the lives they want through 
upbeat and positive attitudes, skills, and experiences provided by the BELL 
Academy.

If you would like to review and/or complete an application for the BELL 
Academy, please visit
https://nfb.org/bell-student-application-form.
You can also
read
the affiliate-specific Frequently Asked Questions brochure for New Jersey at
https://nfb.org/bell-academy-faqs-affiliate/nj.
For more information, please contact Mary Jo Partyka, our state BELL 
coordinator, at
choirnfb at gmail.com
or by phone at 609-888-5459.

Pictures and Videos
2016:

Quoc Anh Tran and Andrew Chin introduce BELL Academy student Ryan Abbott to 
golf.
Grad student volunteer Quoc Anh Tran (on left) and high-school
senior
volunteer Andrew Chin (on right) introduce BELL Academy student, Ryan Abbott 
(in the middle) to golf. Picture shows third-grader Ryan grasping a golf 
club,
leaning over and preparing to swing. Anh is on Ryan’s left and Andrew on his 
right. Submitted by Holly Miller.

Ryan Abbott and Ethan Rieger with adhesive dots all over their faces.
Ryan Abbott and Ethan Rieger, students at the 2016 N.J. BELL Academy have 
playfully placed
adhesive dots
all over their faces. The dots came from foam rubber rectangles of six dots 
each. The children removed selected dots from each rectangle to make each 
rectangle
a different letter of the Braille alphabet. The rectangles were strung 
together in a banner. Submitted by Holly Miller.

Nate Stephens introduces a guest from a neighboring summer program to 
Braille.
Nate Stephens, a student at New Jersey’s 2016 BELL Academy, introduces a 
guest from a neighboring summer program to Braille. Picture shows Nate with 
his
hand on the embossing head of a brailler, checking what he has brailled, to 
one of our summer guests, right, looking on. Submitted by Barbara Shalit.

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Ethan Rieger built this paper crinkler during our visit from Bricks4Kidz. In 
this video clip, he sends a flat, narrow strip of paper through two plastic
gears moving in opposite
directions.
The flat paper goes through them and comes out crinkled. Submitted by Holly 
Miller.

BELL Academy Sponsorship Request
You Can Help Sponsor This Summer’s BELL Academy
>From Ice Cream to T-Shirts, Braille Paper to Pizza

Please consider the opportunity to help sponsor some part of the Braille 
Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy this summer, to be 
conducted
from Monday, July 17 through Friday, July 28, 2017 in Perth Amboy, N.J.

The BELL Academy is a two-week program for visually impaired and blind 
children ages 4 through 12, many of whom have had minimal exposure to 
braille. The
program presents opportunities to enhance braille and blindness skills. 
Instruction in activities of daily living furthers the children’s 
independence
and self-sufficiency. Blind mentors and volunteers provide excellent role 
models, keeping expectations high and proving that blindness is not the 
characteristic
that defines one’s future. All BELL Academy children receive a free white 
cane and a free slate and stylus from the NFB.

Please review and consider the following list of sponsorships. Thank you.

list of 12 items
• $200 Tee shirts for all participants
• $200 Supplies for arts and crafts
• $150 Christmas in July party with Santa
• $100 Louis Braille birthday party
• $100 Various games: Twister, Bingo, etc.
• $50 Ice cream at the beach
• $30 Mid-week pizza party
• $30 Braille paper
• $20 Dark lined paper
• $15 20/20 pens
• $10 Snacks per day
• $5 Water for each day
list end

Sponsorship for Tactile Graphic Products

Competence in understanding and using tactile/raised-line illustrations is 
critical for blind children both for academic and expressive needs. The 
following
five items promote this important but often less-recognized subject area.

list of 5 items
1. 4 or more Sensational Graphics Blackboards at $49.95. Here’s a
short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxHt_QYMg8E
2. 3D Doodler Pens, $100 each with “ink” strands. More packs of “ink 
 strands” cost $12.00 for a 25-pack.
3. InTact Sketch Pad $125.
http://www.easytactilegraphics.com
4. InTact Sketch Pad electric eraser $150
5. Extra InTact Sketch Pad paper: 100 sheets for $24.00
list end

Note: We have received several sponsorships prior to this posting, and we 
thank those that have made the donation.

Once again, thanks for your interest and support to drive the BELL Academy 
vehicle along the road to literacy and learning for blind children. 
Together, with love, hope and determination, we transform dreams into 
reality.

Please make checks payable to NFBNJ and mail to:
Joe Ruffalo, President
254 Spruce Street
Bloomfield, NJ 07003

In the memo, please write “BELL.” Any sponsorship in any amount will be 
appreciated.