[NFBNJ] BELL Academy pageSponsorship Request

Wed Mar 8 01:04:21 UTC 2017

    Greetings to all!
The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Academy, BELL, 
is proud to announce the fourth summer program.
Please share with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers the information provided on the state website,
www.nfbnj.org/bell-academy
The purposes, goals and objectives outline this valuable program.
We have provided information for sponsorship.
Thanks in advance for your continued support to raise expectations for the students/parents of the BELL Academy to live the life they want as we assist to transform their 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 (Braille Enrichment for Literacy & Learning) Academy

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:

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, 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, 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.

Video Player

http://www.nfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Ethan's%20crinkle%20machine.mp4

00:00

00:00

00:18

Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

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.

·         $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

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.

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

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.

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