sponsor of the month By Lydia Chastain
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Fortune Academy CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF TRANSFORMING LIVES
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Fortune Academy, which has been transforming the lives of students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, as well as those with ADHD. According to research from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, nearly 1 in 5 students is affected by dyslexia, 1 in 30 have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, and over 40% of students with language-based learning differences are improperly placed in special needs programs that aren’t addressing their needs. Fortune Academy is home to these students. They deserve an education that directly meets their specific learning needs and makes sense to them. We are here to provide it. Our “Fortune Family” started with a small group of visionaries around a kitchen table. These founding members were united in their conviction to provide an emotionally safe learning environment where students were met where they are, understood for what they could be, and given the help they need to succeed. These core values still guide us today. Located at historic Fort Benjamin Harrison, Fortune Academy is currently the only school in Indiana with a fully immersive learning environment based on the Orton-Gillingham Approach. The OrtonGillingham Approach has been well researched and is known in classrooms for its individualized structured learning. This dynamic, multi-sensory, and personal approach is used daily in Fortune classrooms and allows the flexibility to meet complex student needs. “Our students come to us with average to above-average intelligence; they just learn differently than their peers,” said Vanesa Coles, Head of School at Fortune Academy. “For 20 years, Fortune Academy has been providing this transformative education. The mission of Fortune Academy is to be a comprehensive school dedicated to equipping our students with [the skills] to become competent and confident lifelong learners. Fortune is designed to provide an environment that nurtures each child’s development, builds upon their strengths, and offers remediation in areas of weakness.” The 6:1 student to teacher ratio is critical for the academic intervention programs our students require to find success. However, tuition alone does not cover the cost of a Fortune
32 Special Needs Living • April 2022
