| Smart Kids
with Learning Disabilities, a nonprofit advocacy
organization for parents of children with learning
disabilities and attention-deficit disorder, gave its 2007
Community Service Award to Commission on Children Executive
Director Elaine Zimmerman at its fifth-annual benefit gala
on May 17 at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford.
Smart Kids honored Zimmerman for playing what it called "a
pioneering role in developing legislation addressing
children's needs."
"She has played a key role in
the development of legislation that includes the Connecticut
School Readiness Act, the Early Reading Success legislation,
and the state's Blueprint for Reading, documenting what
children need to learn in each grade to meet literacy
standards," the group said. "She helped create the first
state Prevention Council, the Safe Learning Act to protect
children's personal safety, and established the Parent
Leadership Training Institute, now being implemented in
other states as well."
The mission of Smart Kids,
founded in 2000, is to "educate, guide and inspire families
of children with learning disabilities or ADHD -- and to
change the perception of learning disabilities as a
stigmatizing condition."
The benefit event drew more
than 260 people and raised more than $62,000 to support the
organization's work.
Smart Kids website | Elaine
Zimmerman biography |