Alpha Sigma Alpha
Welcome to
Since 1965, the S. June Smith Center has provided early intervention programs to the meet the needs of infants and preschool children with development delays and disabilities. Dr. S. June Smith was a psychologist who gave many years of dedicated and innovative service to children with special needs in Lancaster County. The S. June Smith Foundation exists to support the work of the S. June Smith Center by providing financial support, primarily through grants. Additionally, the S. June Smith Foundation supports the work of other youth-serving, non-profit organizations through the disbursement of mini-grants to eligible applicant organizations.
Our Mission
“The S. June Smith Center supports children with disabilities in achieving their potential and promotes their full participation within their families, schools and communities.“
Our Vision
“Our vision is to create a community where all children have equal opportunity and equal value.”
In the early 1960s, Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly and unfairly people with intellectual disabilities were treated. She also saw that many children with special needs didn’t even have a place to play. She decided to take action. Soon, her vision began to take shape, as she held a summer day camp for young people with intellectual disabilities in her own backyard. The goal was to learn what these children could do in sports and other activities – and not dwell on what they could not do. This vision eventually grew into the global Special Olympics.
“The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.“
In 1993 Molly Barker started what became we now know as Girls on the Run (GOTR). She wanted girls to know their realize how special they are and to ignore the unhealthy and unrealistic messages the media advertises. In 2000, Girls on the Run became a 501c3 non-profit organization and today, the organization serves girls in over 200 cities across the United States and Canada. The purpose of GOTR is: "inspiring girls to celebrate their unique identities, recognize their inner strength, understand the power they have to make individual decisions and value their connectedness with others."
Mission
"We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running."
Vision
"We envision a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams."
