Mrs. Laura Bush
Omaha, Neb. – Mrs. Laura Bush will be the featured speaker at the 2013 Phoenix Academy Scholarship Luncheon on Tuesday, October 22 at the CenturyLink Center Omaha.
“Phoenix Academy is a non-profit private school, kindergarten through eighth grade, for students who need explicit, multisensory, direct instruction in reading and math”, says Phoenix Academy Executive Director Nancy Liebermann. “We are committed to helping students achieve the academic skills needed to be successful in the classroom.” She adds that “Laura Bush is the perfect speaker for our luncheon. As an elementary teacher, librarian and Honorary Ambassador for the UN Decade of Literacy, she is an advocate for reading.”
Proceeds from the luncheon will be used to provide scholarships to students who would otherwise not be able to receive the specialized assistance offered by Phoenix Academy. Seventy percent of Phoenix Academy’s student population qualify for financial assistance, and forty-five percent qualify for free or reduced lunches.
For decades Laura Bush has championed key issues in the fields of education, health care, and human rights. She has traveled to more than seventy-six countries and has launched groundbreaking education and healthcare programs in the U.S. and abroad. The author of the bestselling memoir, Spoken From The Heart, Mrs. Bush also founded both the Texas Book Festival and the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. Today, as the Chair of the Woman’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, Mrs. Bush continues her work on global healthcare innovations, empowering women in emerging democracies, education reform, and supporting the men and women who have served in America’s military.
Mrs. Bush shares the values of Phoenix Academy’s commitment to every student, explaining, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak at the Phoenix Academy Scholarship Luncheon. Reading is the skill most essential to success in school and beyond, and it has always been a special part of my life. Phoenix Academy is doing important work to make ours a nation of strong readers.”
Phoenix Academy educates and inspires students with learning differences to realize their full academic potential. It is a full-service school that fulfills its mission by using a phonics-based education model and focuses on reading, spelling, writing and math. Most Phoenix Academy students are one or more school years behind in reading and/or math, so addressing each child’s individual learning style and needs is paramount, as is providing a nurturing learning community.
In addition to Mrs. Bush’s remarks, the luncheon will also recognize two literacy champions in the Omaha community – John Gottschalk and Del Weber. John is the 2013 recipient of the Holland Literacy Advocate Award, and Del will be honored with the Mactier/Clark Literacy Educator Award.
Presenting sponsors for the luncheon include Charles M. “Mike” Harper, Dianne & Allan Lozier, Ponca Hills Farm, American National Bank, Methodist Hospital and Pete Ricketts & Susanne Shore. Additional luncheon sponsors include McCarthy Capital and Barbara & Wally Weitz.
Tickets for the Phoenix Academy Scholarship Luncheon are now on sale, and all proceeds will support student scholarships. Individual standard tickets start at $100, and a standard table of ten starts at $1,000. Patron options are also available. To purchase tickets visit Scholarship Luncheon Registration or contact Lisa at lwinton@vgagroup.com or (402) 345-5401, ex. 105.
[button link=”https://phoenixacademyomaha.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Scholarship-Luncheon-Press-Release-92513.pdf” style=”download” color=”orange” window=”yes”]Press Release[/button]