Maggie Aloisi, an Arlington 6th grader with a huge heart and a ton of passion, is AEF’s youngest fundraiser. Through t-shirt sales she is increasing awareness about dyslexia and has raised nearly $800 for AEF!
In October 2018, Massachusetts passed a law requiring early screening for dyslexia. This legislation acknowledges that dyslexia is a neurological condition, establishes a process for early screening, and requires implementation of research-based methods to help children with dyslexia learn. Maggie worked hard to pass the law by making posters and asking friends and family to call their senators and house representatives.
It is sure progress that the law recognizes dyslexia as an important issue, but Massachusetts faces a large task to figure out how to implement this law. To that end, Maggie designed a t-shirt both to raise awareness and to support her teachers as they implement the new law.
The Einstein quote on the back says, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” Maggie sold the shirts during the month of October, both to raise money for the Arlington Education Foundation, and to remind everyone that dyslexia isn’t a disability! Maggie’s sale raised $760 for AEF while bringing awareness to the Arlington community about dyslexia.
Here is Maggie’s story:
“Hi, my name is Maggie. I’m in 6th grade in Arlington, Massachusetts and I have dyslexia. Some people think that dyslexia is a disease or a disability, but I disagree. I chose the Albert Einstein quote to show people that dyslexics are geniuses who think differently! I chose the Arlington Education Foundation to raise money to help my teachers design new projects and programs that will benefit students like me, geniuses who learn differently!”
From all of us at AEF, thank you Maggie! We have a feeling you will do great things in your future! For a limited time, you can purchase one of Maggie’s shirts here: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/saydyslexia
