SubscribeBolesta's Auditory Verbal Learning Institute
Its Mission and History
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Blogger Profile:
Name: Kim
Email: khanna@bolestacenter.org
Age: ????
Location: Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando
Position: Executive Director
Sign: ????
Bio:Kim brings twenty years experience in non-profit administration and finance, with skills in financial analysis, fundraising, and management, to Bolesta. Her work in the community began when she was a commercial loan officer for Mellon Bank and served on the boards of a variety of non-profit organizations. Leaving banking to devote full-time to non-profit work, her professional efforts have centered in fundraising and management for organizations that serve youth, most specifically, Alpha House of Tampa, The Children’s Home, and Eckerd Youth Alternatives.
Kim holds a Master’s degree from The University of South Florida in Tampa and an undergraduate degree from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL.
In 1999, Kim was recognized as a “Woman of Distinction” by the Suncoast Girl Scouts Council. In 2000, she was recognized as one of “Forty Under Forty” to watch as an upcoming business leader by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
by: Kim November 06, 2009
In 2003, Bolesta launched the Auditory-Verbal Learning Institute (AVLI) as a social enterprise designed to capitalize on Bolesta’s longstanding reputation and experience in the world of Listening and Spoken Language services. AVLI produces, markets, and sells products that help therapists, educators, and parents teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to use spoken language.
AVLI was organized to address a critical deficiency in the availability of listening and spoken language services around the world. Its mission is to close the gap between the number of children needing listening and spoken language services and the number of therapists qualified to offer therapy services. We believe every person who needs listening and spoken language services should have access to it - conveniently and affordably.
The need for AVLI was identified during Bolesta Center's participation in the Denali Initiative, a program dedicated to accelerating and maximizing the effectiveness of social entrepreneurs.
The Denali Initiative
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Denali Initiative is a unique collaboration between the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and several foundations inspired by the social enterprise achievements of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and its founder, William E. Strickland, Jr. The program is dedicated to developing the next generation of social entrepreneurs from small to mid-size, community-based, not-for-profit organizations across the nation.
Through the creation of a premier educational curriculum, as well as use of peer support and technical assistance, the Denali Initiative attracts executives from all program areas in the social sector and improves the quality of service provided to communities. The Denali Initiative's mission is to improve the quality of life in our communities and promote a standard of excellence in the social sector by identifying leaders with demonstrated entrepreneurial potential and high ethical standards and accelerating and maximizing the effectiveness of these leaders through a rigorous social enterprise development program.
The Denali Initiative is an intense, action-oriented training and learning process that engages both participants and their organizations in a developmental process. The fellowship experience is grounded in a major entrepreneurial project created by each Fellow in consultation with his or her advisory board. The ultimate goal for Fellows is to use their projects to achieve a positive, measurable, impact in their communities in a cost-effective way. The goal is to create a close-knit, action-oriented, learning community composed of the most talented new social entrepreneurs in the country.
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Tips and Tricks
Day of the Dead
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Blogger Profile:
Name: Judy
Email: jhorvath@bolestacenter.org
Age: ????
Location: Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando
Position: Clinical Director
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Bio:Judy brings more than 20 years of experience working with children with hearing loss who use spoken language to communicate; their families; and the educators who serve them to Bolesta. She has developed or assisted families and education specialists in the development of programs and services that meet the unique needs of students with hearing loss.
Judy served as a Special Education administrator for Pasco County Public School District (FL) for 5 years. In that capacity she supervised programs that included Speech-Language, Child Find/Pre-Kindergarten, Audiology, and other programs for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Previously, she taught in Listening and Spoken Language Deaf Education public school programs in Michigan and Florida for more than 14 years.
Judy developed Pasco County Public School District’s first Oral Deaf preschool program, which is gaining national attention for its successful outcomes. She created and implemented a Listening and Spoken Language Summer Camp experience for children with hearing loss in Michigan that continues today.
Judy received a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education and a master’s degree in Special Education from Eastern Michigan University. She also completed an additional 24 graduate credits in Educational Leadership. She holds a professional certificate in Elementary Education, Special Education-Hearing Impaired and Educational Leadership in the State of Florida. Judy is an active member of the national Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and serves on the board of its Florida chapter. Judy serves on a public school Advisory Committee for the Oberkotter Foundation; as Education Chair of the 2010 AGBell National Convention; and is active in the development of training programs in the State of Florida for teachers of the deaf.
by: Judy October 31, 2009
At Bolesta, weekly therapy lessons are theme-based. This week, Lead Therapist Kelly Teegardin had fun with Day of the Dead projects she designed to elicit expressive vocabulary and to boost receptive language skills. The Day of the Dead, also known as El Día de los Muertos or All Souls' Day, is a holiday celebrated by Latin Americans. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Kids just thought they were having fun making masks and using edible peanut butter clay to fashion a Bolesta version of a sugar skull. And best of all . . . . parents went home with tips and tricks to help their child improve listening skills all week long!
