ALA - FAQ’s
1. What is your mission statement?
The mission of Angel Light Academy is to enhance the health, happiness and will being of being of individuals through the practice and demonstration of unconditional love.
2. Is this program just for at risk children?
In today’s world, all children are at risk. At the conference children ages 5-18 from various socio-economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds come together and “team” as they learn problem solving skills.
3. Who are the children who participate in the “kick-off” conference?
The majority of the participating students are from all three school districts and private schools in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs) of California. There are also students who are from Orange County, California, Phoenix, Arizona and Denver, Colorado.
4. How do the students find out about the conference?
Angel Light Academy has teamed with the Student Assistance Program on the Desert Sands Unified School District for the past 10 years. Many students are referrals from school counselors, teachers, local churches, and other organizations that work with the children of the Coachella Valley including Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert. About a third of the students are residents of the Fred Young Farm Labor Center who has donated their facility to Angel Light Academy’s annual “kick-off” conference since 1998.
5. How many conferences do you do per year?
At this time because of funding, we are only able to do one conference per year.
6. Do you do it only in California?
The Coachella Valley has been the “test bed” for Angel Light Academy’s Leadership Training Institute. One day in the near future, this program will be implemented through out the United States and there will also be an international outreach program.
7. What do the children learn at the conference?
The kick-off conference is a two day program that give the students the “tools” needed to assess problems that that face in their daily live, find resolutions to each problem and then to look at the consequences of each solution.
8. Who does the curriculum for the conference?
The curriculum has been developed by a team of teachers, educational administrators, psychologists, social workers, physicians, holistic health workers and other members of Angel Light Academy’s volunteer corps
9. Who are the facilitators?
Angle Light Academy is a 100% volunteer organization and has a core group of approximately 45 volunteers, many of whom have been with the organization since its inception in 1995. Their gifts and talents contribute to the overall success of the programs and the organization. They are truly “Angels on Earth.”
10. What is the cost of each conference?
The kick-off conference costs nearly $9600.00. It breaks down to $60.00 per student. This includes workbooks, curriculum materials, t-shirts, backpacks, daily snacks/beverages, lunch, insurance, security, decorations, etc.
11. What is the cost to the students who attend?
We ask for a $35.00 donation; however no child is ever turned away.
12. How do you raise funds?
Angel Light Academy’s volunteers are very active in various activities including Wine Tasting Events sponsored by Flemings Steakhouse and Wine Bar, an annual golf tournament and our Angels on Earth who’s donations support our programs.
13. How much of the funds raised go to programming?
Approximately 85% of all funds raised go to programming.
14. What are your overhead expenses?
We do not have any paid staff or an office at this time. Expenses include facilities for training, office materials/postage/printing, insurance etc