"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid," - Albert Einstein

Happy Fall Everyone!

Even though our programs haven't officially started yet, we have so much going on at Dyslexic Edge! Our program director is planning an epic year in STEM, our tutors are diligently working with their students and training classes, and our partners are teaming up with us to ensure every child reaches their full potential. It is shaping up to be our best year yet!

We are excited to kick off our program with AHC, IMSE, and the Booz Allen Foundation. To that end, I want to encourage anyone interested in tutoring students and becoming certified in IMSE to join our team! This is a great opportunity to receive this amazing training while also giving back to the community. See below for details!

There are also so many ways to get involved with our Arlington program. Are you a STEM professional who is interested in being a guest speaker? Do you work for a company interested in sponsoring our students? Is there a high schooler in your house looking to earn community service hours? Then contact us! We would love to have you!

I have used the above quote before but I always come back to it at the dawn of every school year when I think about all of our kids bravely heading back to school and just how much more work we all need to do to ensure that every child sees themselves as a genius and a lifelong learner. To all of you out there who love a student with dyslexia and to those who work so tirelessly to make a difference in those students' lives, we wish you a smooth start and a successful year. We've got this!

With much gratitude,

Krista Gauthier

Executive Director

Interested in becoming IMSE Certified?

Thanks to the generosity of the Booz Allen Foundation, we will be launching the Dyslexic Edge Academy in Arlington in partnership with the AHC and IMSE. This unique program will provide our after-school program to students in AHC's complexes tuition-free! We are currently looking for education students and teachers who wish to work in the program in exchange for earning their Institute for Multisensory Education(IMSE) Certification. To learn more, click here.

Thinking about making a donation to help level the playing field for students with dyslexia?

There are so many ways you can support our mission to level the playing field! Here's how you can help:



Make a donation: by using our Giving Fuel page, you can make a one-time donation or set up a monthly pledge. Click here to visit that page. 

Sponsor a Dyslexic Edge Academy student: we will be expanding our Dyslexic Edge Academy and the fall and you can make a huge difference by sponsoring one our students. For more information on how you can become a sponsor, email us at krista@sdsquared.org.



Fall STEM Activity - Candy Rainbows

Materials

• Hard-shelled colored candies, such as M&Ms® or Skittles®
• Small plate
• Glass or measuring cup
• Warm tap water
• Dish towel or paper towels
• Spoon
• Sugar
• Workstation than can tolerate spills and color dyes
• Food coloring (optional)

Prep Work

1. Arrange pieces of candy in a circle around the inner rim of the plate. Use at least two different colors, alternating them in groups of two or three.
2. Fill a measuring cup or glass with warm tap water.

Instructions

1. Slowly pour warm tap water into the middle of the plate, until it partially covers the candy (or fully, depending on how deep the plate is).
2. Watch the plate closely for a few minutes. What happens?
3. Empty and dry off the plate.
4. Make a circle of candy around the plate again.
5. Put a small pile of sugar (about a quarter teaspoon) directly in the middle of the plate.
6. Slowly pour warm tap water near the center of the plate (but not directly onto the pile of sugar).
7. Watch the plate closely for a few minutes.

***Clean off the plate and repeat the test. Try different color patterns and/or arranging the candy (and sugar) in different shapes. What patterns and artwork can you make?

For videos and other STEM activities, visit: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/candy-rainbow-diffusion?from=Blog

The Dyslexic Edge Video Series is now on YouTube!

Rodas Family: https://youtu.be/mORJiVmG90Y

Wray Family: https://youtu.be/xg0CU-aanPM

Ritchie Family: https://youtu.be/QOeNLYZ4KuI

Fernandez Family: https://youtu.be/MR2Lz_j_6Zo

Dyslexic Edge Story: https://youtu.be/qAjw9X6vFSg

A New School Year Dawns...

I wrote this blog post a few years ago and it still resonates! To all the parent and guardian warriors out there...you got this!

https://www.sdsquared.org/blog/a-new-school-year-dawns