Lifespire is proud to announce its new partnership with the BOLD Program located in the South Bronx.  Effective November 2007, Lifespire assumed executive management of the program and will provide guidance and leadership to their school and OMRDD programs.  BOLD will continue to function as a separate corporation for the foreseeable future but it is under the governance power and administrative responsibility of Lifespire.
BOLD has been serving children and families of the South Bronx for almost 50 years.  It is a well regarded program whose mission is very similar to that of Lifespire.  The addition of this program to the array of services currently offered by Lifespire is a wonderful supplement to the growth of our children services division.

The BOLD staff welcomed Lifespire directors and managers on November 28, 2007 with a tour of their preschool program located in St. Paul’s Church.  The staff provides a warm and inviting place for young children with disabilities. The school has the capacity to serve over 60 children in 5 classrooms.

The children enrolled in this program have been placed by their local school district and each has been identified as a “Preschool Student with a Disability”. The children demonstrate a wide range of ability and there is a variety of classes provided to meet their individualized needs. 
BOLD offers self contained and integrated classrooms for children ages 3-5. Self contained classrooms are for children who require highly structured learning environments with one teacher and two teacher assistants. There are either 12 or 8 children in a self contained classroom. The program is a developmentally appropriate program with an emphasis on language, cognition and social skills.  Each child’s program is guided by an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and teacher’s provide individualized and group activities as appropriate.

The integrated program model is for children who demostrate delays in language and cognitive development but are able to cope with the social demands of a classroom with 15 children. In this model, 7 of the children are identified as having special needs and 8 of the children are “typically” developing.  The typical children are part of the New York City UPK (Universal Pre-Kindergarten) program as BOLD is a community based provider of UPK services.  The classroom is staffed by 1 teacher and 2 assistants.

In addition to its preschool special education program, BOLD also provides various programs for children and teenagers (ages 8-21)   in after school, Saturday afternoon programs and a summer camp all located in the Bronx.  Each of these programs focuses on the social integration of individuals within the group activity and the community.

The Friday night program, also located in the Bronx, is a popular choice for over 45 adults ages 21 and over. Activities are planned on site at Bronx OTC Center and in the community. Community events include movies, bowling and special trips into the city.