[NFBP-Talk] Reminder: BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy & Learning) Academy 2019

Thu May 30 18:33:54 UTC 2019

>From the desk of NFBP President Lynn Heitz.

Requested for distribution by Emily Gindlesperger, President, Pennsylvania
POBC.

Greetings to all!

The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania is proud to announce
and highlight the BELL Academy programs for 2019.

Please review the material found below my signature.

Your continued support assists to raise expectations to transform dreams
into reality!

BELL ROCKS!

Brian A. Mackey

Brian A. Mackey, Webmaster
National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
609-680-8488
Email:  <mailto:bmackey88 at gmail.com> bmackey88 at gmail.com 
Website:  <http://www.nfbp.org> www.nfbp.org 
Facebook:  <https://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblindpa>
https://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblindpa 
Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania is a community of
members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's
blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they
want.

***  

Dear Parents, Teachers and Friends of Blind and Vision Impaired Children:

The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania (NFBP) is sponsoring
its BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy & Learning) Academyprograms for
2019.

The programs will be held at the following locations:

Location 1 - Philadelphia:

Where: 

Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 
1500 Spring Garden Street, Suite 230 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130 

When: 

June 17 through 28, 2019 

Time: 

8:30 AM to 2:30 PM (Monday through Friday) 

Cost: 

The registration fee is $50 per week up until June 1. Then the fee will be
$75 per week. We encourage all parents/guardians to speak with the
participant's school district to assist in covering registration costs and
transportation through the district's ESY program. 

Lunch: 

Children must bring their own lunch 

Transportation: 

Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. However, please
contact the coordinator to discuss transportation options. We are always
here to help. 

Location 2 - Pittsburgh:

Where: 

Carnegie Library for the Blind 
4724 Baum Blvd. 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 

When: 

June 17 through 28, 2019 

Time: 

9:30 AM to 3:30 PM (Monday through Friday) 

Cost: 

The registration fee is $50 per week up until June 1. Then the fee will be
$75 per week. We encourage all parents/guardians to speak with the
participant's school district to assist in covering registration costs and
transportation through the district's ESY program. 

Lunch: 

Children must bring their own lunch 

Transportation: 

Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. However, please
contact the coordinator to discuss transportation options. We are always
here to help. 

Location 3 - Harrisburg:

Where: 

TBD 

When: 

August 5 through 9, 2019 

Time: 

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Monday through Friday) 

Cost: 

The registration fee is $50 per week up until June 1. Then the fee will be
$75 per week. We encourage all parents/guardians to speak with the
participant's school district to assist in covering registration costs and
transportation through the district's ESY program. 

Lunch: 

Children must bring their own lunch 

Transportation: 

Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. However, please
contact the coordinator to discuss transportation options. We are always
here to help. 

This years' theme is "Placing Hands on the Future"

The BELL Academy provides children with the opportunity to learn some
Braille and nonvisual concentrated instruction. This learning takes place
through participation in fun, hands-on activities, including activities of
daily living (ADL) skills, field trips, self-advocacy through "solve it
problems", science experiments, mobility walks, as well as numerous literacy
activities (story time, practicing reading and writing in Braille, use of
Braille Writers). Woven into the program is the NFB philosophy professing
that blind children can do anything sighted children can do through the use
of alternative techniques. This year we will provide the children the chance
to imagine, create, and touch their future and dreams; by not only raising
expectations through Braille instruction, but by nurturing their development
of tactile arts and graphics.

Application Steps:

Please note that the application process for NFB BELL Academy contains
several steps:

1.         Fill out the NFB BELL Application Form
<https://archive.nfb.org/bell-student-application-form> . 

2.    After you submit the application, you will receive a confirmation
email. That confirmation email will direct you to fill out the Permission
and Release Forms
<https://archive.nfb.org/bell-permission-and-release-forms> . 

3.    After you complete the permission and release forms, you will receive
another confirmation email. This second confirmation email will contain your
answers to the permission and release forms. 

4.    Print out this second confirmation email, and sign and date it at the
bottom of the last page. 

5.    Send the signed confirmation email to the BELL Academy state
coordinator listed on the email. 

NFBP BELL Academy Song

At the 2017 NFBP BELL Academy, the staff and students created a song about
BELL <http://nfbp.org/wp-content/uploads/BellAcademySong2017.mov> . We hope
you enjoy listening to it.

NFB Code of Conduct

The National Federation of the Blind Code of Conduct
<https://www.nfb.org/code-conduct>  will apply to our gatherings during the
BELL Academy.

BELL Academy Sponsorship Request for 2019

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. The dates
and locations for the 2019 BELL Academy programs are June 17 to 28 in
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and August 5 to 9 in Harrisburg.

The BELL Academy is a one to two week program for vision 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
National Federation of the Blind.

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.

*         $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. Thanks
to the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, each BELL Academy
program will receive an InTact Sketch Pad electric eraser and all of the
students will receive inTACT Sketchpads. The following four 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: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxHt_QYMg8E
<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.    Additional InTact Sketch Pad electric erasers, $150 each

4.    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 NFBP and mail to:

Lynn Heitz, President
1500 Walnut Street, Suite 200
Philadelphia, PA 19102

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

Additional Information

To learn more about the NFB of Pennsylvania BELL Academy programs, please
read the affiliate-specific Frequently Asked Questions brochure for
Pennsylvania at
https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy/pennsylvania
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy/new-jersey> . For more
information, please contact Michelle McManus, our state BELL coordinator, at
pabell at nfbp.org <mailto:pabell at nfbp.org>  or 814-769-3191.

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