Senator Nozzolio presents ALASA Academy with a $30,000 Grant! 

SODUS, NY - October 25,2008 – Looks of astonishment, gasps, tears, hugs and applause were the order of the day as once again Senator Mike Nozzolio helped bring the dreams of another small Wayne County not for profit organization one giant step closer to coming true.  Saturday’s raw winds and steady downpour weren’t about to dampen anyone’s spirits as dozens of people streamed on to the large, welcoming porch of the Mangan family’s home at Alasa Farms.  Only a couple of days before, word had been received that Senator Nozzolio wanted to meet with organizers of ALASA Academy and members of the community who have participated in the Academy’s programs over the past four years.  The Academy, whose acronym is named for Alasa Farms where they hold their overwhelmingly successful summer programs, stands for Alternative Learning Academy for Student Achievement.  Their summer workshops for children were expanded to three, one-week sessions this year and offer a completely new and fresh approach to a summer day-camp experience.  Awareness of and concern for the environment, interpersonal skills, team building, importance of community service, and personal pride are only a sampling of the values that ALASA Academy reinforces while providing a real-world opportunity to make math, science, journaling, and other areas of academia a part of each child’s life that they can relate to day to day.

 ALASA Academy is a registered 501(c)3 not for profit organization, and Founder and President Sharon Maher has tenaciously sought to grow the program since its inception.  A primary goal has been to purchase 10 acres of property at Alasa Farms, where the Academy could erect its own building and enable them to conduct programs for children all year.  Senator Nozzolio beamed as he lauded the efforts of ALASA Academy and their dedication to the children of Wayne County.  “You are helping kids to engage in the right activities, to get a good start in life, to do the right thing,” Nozzolio said, and shared his thoughts on the importance of providing the children of Wayne County with such a unique learning opportunity.  One of the facets of the Academy’s program that is of particular significance to Senator Nozzolio is that of their partnership with Cracker Box Palace Farm Animal Haven, which also resides at Alasa Farms.  An integral part of the Academy’s curriculum is daily hands-on experience with the animals at the haven, many of which have been rescued from cruelty, abuse, and neglect.  Senator Nozzolio couldn’t have provided a more heartfelt, appropriate paraphrase of the words of the late Mahatma Ghandi, as the Senator echoed the beliefs,  “A great nation is judged not only by how it treats its people but how it treats its animals.”  He commended the partnership between the two organizations and the value that, together, they provide to the community.

 A hush came over the crowd as Senator Nozzolio addressed Sharon Maher and the other Alasa Academy volunteers and thanked them for their dedication and commitment to the children of Wayne County, and a look of total disbelief came over everyone’s faces as he presented Sharon with a grant for $30,000 – the amount necessary to purchase the land and begin building their school.  He also extended his thanks to Sodus Town Supervisor Steve LeRoy and the Sodus Town Board for their support of the Academy’s efforts, and the show of faith that all have exhibited toward the value of the Academy’s programs.

 After giving Senator Nozzolio a huge hug, a stunned Maher expressed her gratitude to the Senator and to all who have been so supportive of the Academy over the past few years, saying “We’re launched!  We promise you that we won’t fail you, the children, or the county.”  Expanding the dream of enriching the lives of Wayne County’s youth is well on its way to becoming reality; exciting plans are being put in place and the future looks very bright for ALASA Academy and what it will bring to area children.

Alice Irwin - Contributing Writer & Reporter, The Sun & Record

You can reply right here in the comments section on this post (see below).   Please take a few minutes to provide feedback.  Your comments are important to us; we want to make the workshops meaningful, memorable events your children will long remember. 

1. Integrity/Honesty - Can be trusted.  Recognizes when faced with making an honest/dishonest decision based upon values.  Understands the impact of violating organizational beliefs and chooses an ethical course of action.
2. Listening - Receives, interprets, and responds appropriately to verbal messages and other clues such as body language; to comprehend, to learn, to critically evaluate, to appreciate or to support the speaker.
3. Team Member - Works cooperatively with others.  Contributes to group with ideas and suggestions.  Encourages and motivates an individual or group.  Demonstrates speaking, listening, writing, and interacting skills sufficient to participate as an effective team member.  Communicates thoughts, feelings, and ideas to justify a position.  Identifies people to be involved in creating solutions to work-related problems.
4. Responsibility - Exerts a high level of effort and perseverence toward goal attainment.  Strives to become excellent at performing tasks even when assigned an unpleasant task.
5. Personal Appearance - Demonstrates understanding of personal appearance and hygiene appropriate for industry/company policy.  Wears appropriate clothing/uniform and maintains personal hygiene regularly.
6. Social - Demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy and politeness in new and on-going group settings.  Asserts self in familiar and unfamiliar social settings.
7. Writing - Communicates thoughts and key information in writing, records information completely and accurately.
8. Self-esteem - Believes in own self-worth and maintains a positive view of self.  Demonstrates knolwdge of own skills and abilities.
9. Interprets and Communicates - Interprets graphic and pictorial maps to others.  Complete a message form.  Explains ideas from a work plan and options for implementation.  Reports emergencies.  Chooses words/manner of expression appropriate to the work place.  Explains products and services.  Selects and uses a variety of ways to give informaiton.  Responds to complaints.  Writes simple memos and informative reports.
10. Knowing How to Learn - Recognizes and applies new knowledge and skills in both familiar and changing situations.  Is aware of learning styles (visual, aural), formal lerning strategies (note taking), and informal learning strategies (awareness of unidentified false assumptions that may lead to faulty conclusions).
11. Speaking - Organizes ideas and speaks clearly.  Communicates appropriately to listeners and situations.  Participates in conversations, discussion, and group presentations.  Asks questions when needed.
12. Reading - Locates and interprets technical vocabulary and key messages from written information in prose and documents.
13. Arithmetic - Performs basic computation and makes estimates without a calculator; uses basic numerical concepts including whole numbers, percentages and charts to display information.

*This information was presented by the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board, 3010 Country Complex Drive, Canandaigua, NY  14424.  It is based on results of the 1995 NYS Employer Survey of Workplace Skills, conducted by the NY Association of Training & Employment Professionals and the NYS Department of Labor.

1. Integrity/Honesty - Employees who are trustworthy and can recognize the importance of making work-related decisions based on values.  They understand their employer’s standards and are empowered to act accordingly.
2. Cooperation - Employees who can work well as a team.
3. Personal Appearance and Hygiene - Employees who maintain acceptable personal appearance and cleanliness in the workplace.
4. Understanding - Employees who can identify and appreciate the needs of a customer or co-worker.
5. Sociability - Employees who are respectful, courteous and cordial to customers and co-workers.
6. Responsibility - Employees who exert a high level of effort and perserverance toward reaching a goal.  They become accomplished at all related tasks an the pursuit of excellent customer service.
7. Self-Esteem - Employees who believe in their own self-worth while maintaining a positive self image.
8. Literacy - Employees who meet the basic education requirements of their job, while reading and writing at the level of assigned tasks.
9. Communication - Employees who can share their questions, suggestions and decisions as needed.
10. Courtesy - Employees who can demonstrate acceptable behavior when interacting with cuotmers and co-workers.

 *The above information was provided  by the Finger Lakes chapter of Workforce New York.  It is based on the results of the 1995 New York State Employer Survey of Workplace Skills, and confirmed by Regional Workforce Surveys conducted in New York State in 2002.  The surveys were sponsored by NYATEP, NYSDOL and local Workforce Investment Boards.

 A “creature find” during a stream-walk

1. He will learn about himself.

2. She will learn about the world.

3. He will challenge himself.

4. She will set new goals.

5. He will meet new friends.

6. She will help others in need.

7. He will learn to put plans into action.

8. She will shed stereotypes.

9. He will be part of something special.

10. She will share what she experiences with others.

Sign Up! To see the printable registration form, Click Here: ALASA Academy 2008 Workshop Registration Form

 IMPRESSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS OF ALASA ACADEMY

The seemingly endless countryside of rolling hills and quiet winding roads reveal a diverse natural environment that reminds you of one’s own childhood.  Deer graze openly in expansive green fields. Colorful birds flit and fly all around catching insects for their young safely hidden away in the brush.  While stopping and listening, one can hear the gentle rush of breezes through the treetops and fields of tall grasses accompanied by chirps of songbirds like Goldfinches, Bluebirds and Red-Winged Blackbirds.  From this setting, Lake Ontario can be seen below the treetops a few miles away.  This idyllic location brings out a childlike wonderment in any visitor who has endured the boundaries of city life too long.  Even at night, when every star imaginable looks brightly upon the earth, the wonderment endures.  Fireflies fill the night air like moving lanterns beckoning one to follow and try to catch them.  Gazing patiently, one can catch a shooting star or an occasional satellite slowly traipsing by in its dutiful straight line.  This place is mesmerizing to the city dweller seeking solace from a busy life.  It is a place for one to learn and grow. 

Nestled in the beautiful hills of Alton, NY is the home of a unique classroom environment called ALASA Academy at Alasa Farms.  The academy invites kids from all walks of life to socialize with others that are as unique as they are and share their unique talents with others.  Planned classroom environments and activities allow children to work with animals in cooperation with Cracker Box Palace Farm Animal Haven.  Students are given the opportunity to share in the feeding and care of horses, rabbits, guinea pigs and a myriad of other friendly creatures along with regular academic reviews.  Classes are scheduled daily for similar age groups to explore each child’s personal, social and creative skills.  Each child is recognized as an individual, and they are encouraged to interact with others in a positive way.  With supervision and care, staff members and volunteers encourage good behavior and support within groups of their peers.  Opportunity abounds for any child that enjoys animals and a natural outdoor setting.  Personal recognition, attention and encouragement abound here in order for the children to fully enjoy their experiences and take home great memories.  Everyone here is deserving of affection and opportunity.   Being able to feed an ex-racehorse carrots, or tend to baby guinea pigs and rabbits has a soothing affect.  One can’t help feeling loved while holding a velvety-soft, lop-eared rabbit in your arms or getting a needed hug from a favorite teacher.  The biggest part of every day is often involving feeding the many goats, their Belgian horse named Lucy, or Stormy the retired racehorse.  Even an 800lb. pig named Pete deserves a child’s touch as is rests in it’s stall.

That is what ALASA Academy and Alasa farms is about.  Being outdoors with nature, tending to the animals, picking flowers, reading a book while sitting on the grass, chasing butterflies, and of course, climbing trees with new friends are only some of the rewards found here.  Everyone here finds opportunities to learn and grow. This nurturing environment in upstate New York provides just that for all who visit here.  It is both an oasis, and a refuge.