Scalzi Originals Foundation
The purpose of the foundation is to facilitate a revitalization of community by introducing fun, effective, practical activities for youth and adults. The cognitive-physical empowerment aspect of the Scalzi Originals Foundation of youth and their families is central to the vision. This includes providing our services to individuals on the autism spectrum, with Downs Syndrome and other special needs. Likewise, the focused development of executive function skills, soft skills, motor coordination and emotional intelligence is at the core of the foundations mission.
Sensitive to the lack of access of such programs in both affluent and poor neighborhoods, the foundation focuses on using social entrepreneurial practices to help bring about the revitalization of communities through its diverse actions. Acting as a social enterprise, the inception of specific programs, like skateboarding, basketball, soccer and baseball, chess, music, art, gardening, dance, theater, parkour and rugby, martial arts, town hall meetings, coaching itself, and the creation of micro economies by and for the community all are integral to the foundations bigger focus on supporting positive social disruption.
Unique to approaches that are currently being piloted in community campaigns I have in Scalzi Skate park and South Norwalk, growth is largely based on relationships and aligned vision amongst team members in each organization. The use of such practices as servant leadership and social entrepreneurship are modeled from the very beginning of a campaign and serve as the marrow that helps frame the foundation’s vision for its operating process.
Why?
As the organizations founder, I seek to facilitate new levels of independence in others, help the disadvantaged, and finally, to scale this by helping small and large communities. Placing my energy towards addressing the needs of others, like a family wanting to help their child on the autism spectrum be more independent or a fatherless child who needs a mentor is satisfying enough. Helping others move forward creates contentment and is a major driver of success that is valued more than monetary profit for the foundation.
Currently, the social entrepreneurial focus on youth and community revitalization is center stage. As the foundations originator, I believe that an immediate priority in the United States of America is to create and sustain community ties that bind on the local and national level. In working shoulder to shoulder with the millions of other servant leaders doing their unique contribution to keeping America like a clear, flowing river, the Scalzi Originals Foundation sees the building of great skateparks as a tremendous boon to the health of any community. These settings can provide the right kinds of cognitive-physical, social-emotional practice opportunities for kids and adults. At a skatepark, the constantly practicing skateboarder transitions between hesitation and commitment while toning body and mind, making it a very practical lifetime activity for individuals on the autism spectrum, with Downs Syndrome, attentional challenges and/ or executive function skill deficits to integrate.
In five years, the foundation hopes to be in the midst of multiple community revitalization campaigns and with a local brand of an ‘Originals skateboard school’ presence in skateparks across the tri-state areas of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut.
Comments