Sweetser News & Events

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution Donates $2,500 to Support Learning Arts Fair

Posted on 05/02/2006 at 01:00 pm

Lisa Freeman (left), art teacher from The School at Sweetser in Saco, accepts a $2,500 check from Lynne Belanger (center) and Alice Kimball-Guay (right) of Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution. Kimball-Guay is also a mentor for Sweetser.

The grant supports the school's annual Learning Arts Fair, which will take place on Thursday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is the culmination of three months of interdisciplinary study around the theme of Europe.

In the weeks leading up to the event, students will participate in workshops and presentations by well-known Maine artists including Roger Richmond, a designer and three-dimensional photographer who will share a photography presentation on Europe. Students will also have the opportunity to attend a bagpipe performance by George Pulkkinen and a Scottish/Irish dance performance by Laura Scott.

The day of the fair, students will share their learning experience via exhibits, artwork, art-based activities, and presentations, followed by an outdoor barbecue lunch and concert by An Grian.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution has been a loyal supporter of Sweetser's Learning Arts Fair for several years.

As the state's largest school for students with special needs, The School at Sweetser serves 150 students each year, ages five through 20, who need assistance with behavioral and learning impairments. By combining therapeutic treatment with traditional academics and hands-on learning, The School at Sweetser helps students develop the skills they need to return to a public school setting.

With a history dating back to 1828, Sweetser is Maine's most comprehensive behavioral health care organization dedicated to serving children, adults and families. Sweetser offers services that address emotional disturbances, mental illness, behavioral disorders and learning disabilities through an array of educational programs, preventive services, community-based support services and residential services.

Contact: Molly Gallagher, Communications Manager, 207-294-4431, mgallagher@sweetser.org