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Education Foundation celebrates

March 23rd, 2018


The North Haven Citizen logo

Friday, March 23, 2018

Education Foundation celebrates

by Lauren Takores
The Citizen

ACES Education Foundation marked its 15th anniversary with a celebration featuring a local student honoree.

The North Haven based nonprofit supports the work of Area Cooperative Educational Services, which provides individualized and alternative education to students in 26 municipalities.

ACES Whitney High School East student and North Haven resident Drew Gambardella was to be honored at the anniversary gala Thursday, March 22 in Branford.

Gambardella, 16, is on the autism spectrum.  He began attending ACES Village School, and integrated preschool, at 3 years old.

"Drew always loved music and loved playing with musical toys as a toddler," said Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, ACES Marketing chief, in a statement.  "He never played an instrument, however, until... he watched a music therapist play piano and became mesmerized," she said.  Gambardella has performed at several ACES-sponsored events, including in November at a convocation for an audience of 800.

"Drew always loved music and loved playing with musical toys as a toddler," said Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, ACES Marketing chief, in a statement.  "He never played an instrument, however, until... he watched a music therapist play piano and became mesmerized," she said.  Gambardella has performed at several ACES-sponsored events, including in November at a convocation for an audience of 800.

"He's a remarkable young man, and we're delighted to be honoring him," Rossetti-Ryan said.

Other gala honorees were Peter Young, former ACES executive director and current Foundation board member, and Roger Joyce, former Foundation board member.

Rossetti-Ryan said she anticipated 300 attendees at the gala, including representatives from corporate sponsors, community partners and families, staff and board members.  Current sponsors include Anthem, Brown and Brown, USI, Town Fair Tire, Performance Environmental Services and Canon.

Drew Gambardella and Eric Davis during music therapyACES Whitney High School East student and north haven resident Drew Gambardella, left, is coached by Eric Davis, school staff member, during music therapy.

 

Drew Gambardella
ACES Whitney High School East student and North Haven resident Drew Gambardella was honored at the ACES Education Foundation anniversary gala.

Cheryl Saloom, who retired in 2006 as executive director, formed ACES nearly 50 years ago, in 1969.  When the state Department of Education created a regional approach to servicing students with special needs, it paved the way for the ACES model of regional education centers.

"Right from the beginning, we took on a whole cooperative approach with school systems," Saloom said.

Fees for services is ACES primary funding.

"Every school system which sends us a student also pays a fee for that student," Saloom said. "The state (education) department for many years contributed some money, but that has really dropped."

Tje ACES Education Foundation formed in 2003.  At last year's gala, the foundation raised more than $109,000 and of that amount awarded $90,500 in grants and $10,000 Fund-A-Need initiatives.

"That was huge for us," Saloom said.  "This year is going to top it."

LTakores@record-journal.com
203-317-2212
Twitter: @LCTakores

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