Ave Maria Preparatory School prepares for 2016 Giving Challenge

MYAKKA CITY, FL – Ave Maria Preparatory School, which serves students with disabilities in Sarasota, Bradenton, Parrish and the wider Tampa Bay area, is gearing up for the 2016 Giving Challenge, the 24-hour online giving event that will benefit more than 450 local nonprofit organizations in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and Desoto counties. Funds raised during the Giving Challenge will help the school to supply a sensory classroom and multi-sensory playground in support of two valuable programs that specifically address autism: THRIVE and Ave Maria University Preparatory. The THRIVE program involves protocols for eating, sleeping and learning. Ave Maria University Preparatory (AMUP) replaces obsessive compulsive behaviors and promotes sensory integration.

“Ave Maria is grateful for the opportunity to raise money for our programs while also raising awareness of the work we do for children in the community during the 2016 Giving Challenge,” said founder and CEO Sister Gilchrist Cottrill. “Through innovative programs such as THRIVE – which has been proven to reverse symptoms of autism, ADHD, developmental delay and emotional disorders – pet therapy, yoga, counseling, and work with the students on executive function strategies such as test taking, organization, time management and more, we are able to offer students with disabilities an opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and lead fulfilling lives.”

Located in Myakka City, Ave Maria Preparatory School is the only grade 2-12 school for children and young adults with special learning needs in Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Hardee counties. The nonprofit school serves individuals ages 6-22 with issues including autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, Tourette syndrome and bipolar disorders, helping students to receive a standard diploma.

Tuition at Ave Maria is $12,000 and, although many students currently receive the McKay Scholarship – which provides, on average, half of the tuition – the remaining balance can be difficult to cover. Many parents of students at Ave Maria face higher medical costs than other families and cannot afford the remainder of the tuition without assistance. Fundraisers are critical to the success of the school, and the 2016 Giving Challenge offers a way for community members to lend support to this important and much-needed institution.

The 2016 Giving Challenge is presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, as well as support from Manatee Community Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, and the Herald-Tribune Media Group. This year, the Patterson Foundation will match all gifts – and new donors to Ave Maria Preparatory School will get a 2:1 match – for donations up to $100. For more information about Ave Maria, go to amuprep.org or call (941) 416-4076.

PHOTO ID: Sister Gilchrist Cotrill, founder and CEO of Ave Maria Preparatory School, with elementary level student David Carr

About Ave Maria Preparatory School
Located in Myakka City, Ave Maria Preparatory School is the only grade 2-12 School for children and young adults with special learning needs in Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Hardee counties. The nonprofit school serves individuals ages 6-22 with issues including autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Tourette syndrome and bipolar disorders, helping students to receive a standard diploma. Ave Maria follows the Florida Standards in its curriculum, but delivers it differently using research based methods proven to stimulate “the Disney side of the brain,” creating brain elasticity. Ave Maria Preparatory School was established by Sister Gilchrist Cottrill in 2004 to promote the educational progress of each student through teaching that respects individual needs. For more information, visit amuprep.org.