NORWALK, Conn., April 19, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities (SKLD) will hold its annual gala, Make Waves, at 7:00 pm on Friday, April 26 at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT. Long-time broadcasting executive Dick Ferguson will serve as Master of Ceremonies and Dave Sylvestro, a school psychologist at The Southport School, will be the evening's auctioneer.
At this year's event, SKLD will honor Dr. Benjamin N. Powers with its 2019 Community Service Award. Dr. Powers is an educator, researcher, and thought-leader, and he has served as Headmaster of The Southport School, a leading day school for students with dyslexia and ADHD in Southport, CT, since 2012. Throughout his career, he has championed evidence-based approaches to teaching children with learning disabilities that recognize individual strengths, promote independent thinking, develop self-esteem and self-advocacy, and fuel academic achievement.
Dr. Powers is as an affiliated research scientist at Haskins Laboratories in New Haven and at the Grenoble Ecole de Management in Grenoble, France; and is co-director of the Academic Center of Excellence for The Dyslexia Foundation. He is co-author of "Great Expectations: A Current Perspective on Education, Disability, and Society," a chapter in the forthcoming book All About Language: Science, Theory, and Practice (Brookes Publishing, 2019).
Powers holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Grenoble Ecole de Management, an Executive MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts from La Salle University. A Certified Dyslexia Practitioner, he is an associate member of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, serves on a number of advisory boards, and is an honorary board member of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities.
"It is an honor and privilege to receive this Community Service Award from Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities," says Dr. Benjamin N. Powers. "Smart Kids is a well-respected voice for families and children, and they have impacted thousands of lives. I'm fueled by organizations in the LD community, like Smart Kids, which contribute to making our world a better one for individuals with learning and attention issues."
Also at the gala, the Fred J. Epstein Youth Achievement Awards will be presented to student winners hailing from across the United States. The major award is for $1,000. The Youth Achievement Awards recognize the strengths and accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities and/or ADHD despite their struggles in school.
The gala will feature a cocktail reception, live and wine auctions, in addition to the awards program. Auction items include house tickets to the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, exclusive premium tickets to the Yankees and U.S. Open, and a private cocktail cruise on Long Island Sound.
Gala tickets are available for purchase online.
The Summit Sponsor for the Gala is the Southfield Center for Development in Darien and Wilton, CT – a family-centered, interdisciplinary practice dedicated to providing comprehensive evaluation and care with an integrated solution to the needs of children and adolescents. Additional sponsors include The Canell Group at J.P. Morgan Securities, Fusion Academy of Greenwich and Fairfield, Lindamood-Bell Learning Center in Darien, CT, and The Southport School.
About Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc.
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit disorders (ADHD) via its educational programs, award-winning website and blog, and free e-newsletter. The organization also educates the public about these children's gifts and talents. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, Anne Ford, and The Southport School Head Dr. Benjamin N. Powers are Honorary Board members. Henry Winkler, Golden Globe award-winning actor, director and author, serves as the organization's Honorary Chairman. For more information, visit http://www.SmartKidswithLD.org.
SOURCE Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities
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