Featured Projects

Aiden Guinn has been a part of the N.O.W. Lettuce Production in AVA for the past two years. He currently fulfills the role of Assistant Farm Manager and operates the 8 Flex Farm Units which produce approximately 25-30 pounds of lettuce each week for our schools and families in our community. Some of his responsibilities are overseeing the growth of the lettuce and maintaining the nutrient balance and delivery system.

Yonder artist Don Krumpos collaborated with students from Algoma Venture Academy on a new mural design. Students were a part of each step of the process, from applying for grant funds to conceptualizing the mural itself. Excited to contribute to Algoma’s collection of vibrant murals, the students drew design inspiration from the people and beauty of Algoma. They chose to get the community involved by creating a paint-by-number design that was completed last May, 2023. This project was supported by funding from the Algoma Area Education Foundation and Community Improvement of Algoma.

During the spring semester of the 2022-2023 school year Berkley VanLanen held an event to bring together members of the Algoma Community. During this event adults from Sunshine Resources, ESI and Turning Point traveled to Algoma Venture Academy to participate in a variety of activities with AVA students. Each student was responsible for creating an activity for the adults to complete. These activities ranged from making soap to decorating cookies and planting seeds. Students were able to build connections with people in their community and make connections with people with disabilities.

Each fall our students organize a Beach Clean-up as part of the Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt a Beach program. Our AVA students partner up with the 2nd grade elementary students and clean the beach while collecting data concerning the debris collected. This information is then reported and becomes part of a database that helps scientists identify sources of plastic pollution.