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| Norfolk County's Youth Leadership Academy a Smash Hit |
| By Norfolk County Sheriff Office |
| Published: 09/27/2011 |
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DEDHAM, MA, Sept. 27, 2011 – Norfolk County Sheriff Michael G. Bellotti said the return of the Youth Leadership Academy this summer turned out to be hugely popular with Norfolk County families. “The feedback from parents has been great. It really validated our decision to bring the academy back into operation,” Sheriff Bellotti said. “It was so popular that at one point, we had a waiting list of 260 people, and we had to add an extra week-long session to accommodate some of them.” This summer also marked the first year of the academy since the Town of Braintree purchased the Braintree Public Safety Complex property, where the academy is held, from Norfolk County. The town leased the property back to the sheriff’s office. “We had a great cooperative relationship with Mayor Joseph Sullivan and his people in Braintree,” Sheriff Bellotti said. “Their cooperation made this a successful academy.” A total of 665 kids between the ages of 10 and 14 attended the academy, which was held in eight one-week sessions beginning in July. As in prior years, the Youth Leadership Academy featured a unique aerial ropes course. The specially-trained academy staff uses the course to teach kids about team-building, smart decision-making and risk-taking, and reaching and exceeding goals. Sheriff Bellotti also introduced a new feature to this summer’s camp: an anti-bullying presentation. “Through my work as a member of the state’s special commission on the implementation of the school bullying law, I know first-hand how important this issue has become,” Sheriff Bellotti said. “So we added this new piece to the academy, and I thought the kids really responded well to it.” In addition, the Youth Leadership Academy included hands-on training on fire safety and an informative demonstration by a Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office K-9 team. The 2011 academy took place after a two-year absence due to budget constraints. Sheriff Bellotti was able to come up with funding from revenues generated by his Civil Process division. |
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