The BillBoard

October 1st marked the beginning of Learning Disabilities Month, the national awareness campaign focused on mental health issues education. The awareness programs instituted for National Learning Disabilities Month aim to provide the public with a greater understanding of the special education system and its students, as well as existing needs of the program. At the forefront of special education in the state of Maryland, is the renowned Harbour School.

Because every child is unique, The Harbour School offers a distinctive program that is based on each student’s individual needs and competency level. Dr. Jacobs, the founder and executive director of The Harbour School, dreamed of a school with no tests and no failing grades - only hands on experiences and real-life training. The Harbour School aims to prepare students for the world outside the classroom. “The Village,” a special Harbour program, is designed to allow students to participate in a functioning community and give them the opportunity to operate a business, integrating academic skills into an economic system. Programs such as these are what help to make The Harbour School a unique special education facility in Maryland.

The Harbour School has more to celebrate this October than just Learning Disabilities Month; the beginning of the month marked the halfway point for The Harbour School’s annual fundraiser. Through generous donations by parents and the community, The Harbour School has already raised $500,000, with half of its donations given between April and September alone. Well on its way to raising its goal of $1 million dollars, The Harbour School is already making plans to renovate its Annapolis campus.

The Harbour School, a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit school, is a unique educational organization providing supportive, caring, and individualized education to students with learning and other disabilities. Serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, each child receives assistance in attaining academic and personal achievement, as well as success commensurate with the child’s abilities. With campuses located in both Annapolis and Baltimore, The Harbour School provides education to more than 260 students from 14 school systems within Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.
For more information about The Harbour School or National Learning Disabilities Month, please contact Jen McAlary at (410) 561-8886.

Posted by Ashley Reeder

Posted by mjohnson at 10:41 AM

October 02, 2006

Annual Meeting of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners

ON January 30, 2007 IAADP, a cross-disability consumer advocacy
organization of people partnered with guide, hearing and service
dogs, will hold its thirteenth annual conference at the Baltimore
Marriott Inner Harbor. The keynoter will be Seeing Eye graduate
Marcus Engel, author and motivational speaker. Issues to be
explored include disaster relief and emergency preparedness,
the distinctions between assistance dogs and emotional support
animals, the training and selection of alert dogs for diabetes and a
discussion with federal officials on service animal issues
involving public transportation. A sit down lunch will be
provided as well as many gifts for canine assistant participants
and their human partners.

Where: Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor, Tel. 410-692-0202
When: January 30, 2007, Registration 8 am, morning session 9-12,
lunch 12-2 pm, afternoon session 2-5:30 pm
Cost: $45 for IAADP members, $65 for non-members
How to register: Consult the website, www.iaadp.org, e-mail
iaadp@aol.com or call Tanya at 513-245-2199

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Posted by mjohnson at 11:17 AM