Inclusive Advocacy Speaker Series
Two Speakers Left!
Dan Habib and Hasan Davis shared their stories of inclusion advocacy and interacted with the community via Zoom over the past month. Two speakers remain in the series, and you won’t want to miss them. Ian Watlington speaks on Wednesday, October 28, and LeDerick Horne joins us on Thursday, November 12. Checkout their bios and register for their talks here. The speaker series will culminate with Sewall’s Virtual Beacon Celebration featuring Dr. Temple Grandin on 11/19. Speakers will share their insights and discuss the value of inclusion advocacy. Registration and participation is free!
Welcome to Our New Board Member, Julia Lazure
Julia is a partner at Kneeland & Lazure Law, LLC, where she works with individuals and families to navigate major changes in their lives so they can have peace of mind and plan for their futures in the areas of estate planning, business law, and family law. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law. Prior to joining Kneeland & Lazure Law, LLC, Julia served as a judicial law clerk and as the Family Court Facilitator at Denver District Court, where she worked with represented and non-represented community members accessing the Court for domestic relations issues. Julia is the Immediate Past President of the Junior League of Denver, a women’s training and civic leadership organization. She also currently serves as the Secretary of the Junior League of Denver Foundation; is a long-standing member of the planning committee for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Annual Continuing Legal Education Conference; serves as the editor for the Colorado Women’s Bar Association’s Under Pressureblog; and volunteer guest lectures and provides trainings at Denver District Court.
Julia first became aware of Sewall’s work while volunteering with Junior League of Denver; she volunteered at different events through Sewall and saw firsthand the important impact Sewall makes in the community. As a parent of two young children, a 4-year-old and 1-year old, she also has seen firsthand how beneficial it is for children to be able to have access to quality, inclusive education. Sewall’s themes of inclusivity, joyful learning, and diversity really struck a chord with her, and she is excited to be joining Sewall’s Board of Directors.
The 19th Annual (Virtual) Beacon Celebration
Dr. Temple Grandin — Thursday, 11/19
Pre-program Slide Show at 6:30 pm
Program at 7:00 pm
Join us via Zoom or Facebook Live on Thursday, November 19, as we celebrate 76 years of serving Denver. Although we will not be able to meet in person, we have a fun evening in store: from Reggie’s authentic humor and charismatic style, to Dr. Temple Grandin’s key insights, to to an exciting paddle raiser and silent auction – all to benefit the more than 600 children and their families served by Sewall.
Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism as a child and didn’t talk until she was three and a half years old. Doctors told her mom she would never speak, let alone lead a productive life. Temple’s mom refused to believe the diagnosis as she saw potential in her child. Temple was fortunate to get early speech therapy and was mainstreamed into typical kindergarten at age five. This early intervention was vitally important as it improved outcomes for Temple and her family. Research shows that the early years of a child’s life are essential for long-term effects on health, language and communication, cognitive and social development.
Today, Dr. Grandin is a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior and is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She has a successful career consulting on both livestock and handling equipment design and animal welfare. She has been featured on NPR and a BBC special “The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow.” She has appeared on Larry King Live, 20/20, 60 Minutes, Fox and Friends, and has a 2010 TED Talk. Articles about Grandin have appeared in Time Magazine, New York Times, Discover Magazine, Forbes, and USA Today. HBO made an Emmy Award winning movie, Temple Grandin, about her life. In 2016, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Thank you to our Beacon Celebration Sponsors!
Over the past school year…
You have helped make a difference in your community! See how your support has impacted the world around:
 Students served: 600 |  Classrooms 25 |  Years serving our community: 76 |
Early Childhood Education Fact
Did you know that over the last 27 years, inclusion in regular early childhood settings has only increased by 5.7{3636cb0a451a12ed88382a3e0ed28b2223ede70e167d2b3efd87582f6f12e3da} across the nation? (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2014)
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Supporters of Sewall who reside in Colorado and file Colorado state taxes qualify for a 50{3636cb0a451a12ed88382a3e0ed28b2223ede70e167d2b3efd87582f6f12e3da} state income tax credit in addition to the regular state and federal income tax deductions. All cash gifts qualify for the Colorado Child Care Contribution Credit (CCCC).