Growing Times - July '22

Click here to download a PDF version of the Spring Newsletter

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Seeing The Invisible Problem

For as long as he can remember, Samson has had vision problems. When he was young, he was always tripping over things, misjudging distances. He was given glasses at an early age, but even with them, he had trouble seeing.

This became a problem in school. He had no trouble learning to read, he could understand what he read, but the actual act of reading was exhausting. As he grew older, and school required more extensive reading of longer and more complicated texts, he would get so tired while working on assignments, he’d want to go to sleep. He tried to compensate by reading at his own pace, but that only worked some of the time, he’d still get tired. Reading for school became stressful and frustrating, so much so that he’d want to give up.

> Click here to continue reading

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Join us for a Day at the Races!

The 31st Running of the Race for the Children returns on Sunday, August 7, 2022 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN. ​

Register

The event will feature fun family activities and great live racing! Attendees will also receive a complimentary racing form and buffet lunch in the Longshots Party Area. Registration is now open and sponsorship opportunities are available. Proceeds support the programs and services of A Chance To Grow.

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Space is Available for 2022 S.M.A.R.T. Summer Workshops!

The 2022 Summer S.M.A.R.T. Workshops are in full swing! Learn about a developing brain and how S.M.A.R.T.’s movement-based activities will ENERGIZE your student’s learning readiness! Don’t miss your chance to experience this transformational workshop. Registration is open for all our upcoming Elementary & Pre-K workshops! Our experienced instructors will help you understand how to easily implement these brain-stimulating activities in your classroom. Register today!

S.M.A.R.T. Workshops

• August 16-18, 2022 (Wausau, WI)
• October 25-27, 2022
• February 21-23, 2023

S.M.A.R.T. Pre-K Workshops

• July 19-21, 2022
• August 2-4, 2022 (New Ulm, MN)
• November 1-3, 2022

Can’t make a 3-day workshop? We are holding a 1-day Bridging the Gap workshop on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. All workshops will be held at A Chance To Grow in Minneapolis, MN unless otherwise noted. Register two weeks in advance and save $25! Register today to secure your spot!

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MNRI NeuroTactile Integration Course: October 29-30

A Chance To Grow will be hosting a Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration course led by Pamela Curlee on October 29-30, 2022 at its facility in NE Minneapolis. 

The course explores the role NeuroTactile Integration plays in establishing a foundation for motor, communication & cognitive development, and emotional & behavioral regulation. Professionals, parents and caregivers interested in learning more about MNRI are encouraged to attend. Cost is $495. For additional course information or to register, please visit www.masgutovamethod.com/events. Questions? Call (612) 706-5553.

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Turnquist Child Enrichment Center Awarded Multiple Grants

The Turnquist Child Enrichment Center (TCEC) is pleased to announce it has been awarded multiple grants to support the growth and stability of the children and families who receive our services!

The Sauer Family Foundation awarded a $11,190 grant to TCEC to implement the Conscious Discipline curriculum, which creates a compassionate culture in the classroom that increases self-regulation, sense of safety, connection, empathy and intrinsic motivation in children who have experienced or are at risk for experiencing trauma. Our TCEC children are at high risk for poverty, trauma, learning difficulties and behavioral issues. Most are low-income, special needs, are in foster care and/or are children of teen parents. The Conscious Discipline approach will provide support for positive social-emotional development for these children. Grant activities include acquiring materials, training staff, and integrating the curriculum into daily activities.

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Second Harvest Heartland awarded a $5,000 grant to TCEC to create a food pantry. Until now, TCEC staff has only been able to create pop-up pantries in available space with only shelf-stable items. This grant will allow TCEC to create a permanent pantry space that has refrigeration and more room, thus allowing us to provide fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and other perishables, as well as canned and packaged items on a daily basis. The new pantry will not only provide healthy and nutritious items to our families, many of whom experience food insecurity, it will also attract new families to our center, allowing us to expand services to the NE area more broadly. The grant money will be used to buy equipment for the pantry.

​​“We are so grateful to the Sauer Family Foundation and Second Harvest for awarding us these grants,” says Elizabeth Ruzek, Director of Turnquist. “Theses funds will help us continue to nurture the minds and bodies of our students and their families so that all may reach their full potential.”

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Advanced-Brain Summer Intensives: Neurofeedback + AVE

Skip the summer slide with our comprehensive summer brain-training program! Combining in-clinic neurofeedback sessions with in-home support via Audio-Visual Entrainment, this flexible program allows you to train your brain on your schedule! If you or a loved one struggles with emotional instability, poor focus or anxious thoughts, please visit Intensive Page and submit a program inquiry form.

Includes 20 in-clinic neurofeedback sessions with assessments at each session, as well as your own AVE unit. For pricing and questions, please contact (612) 789-1236 or email neuro@actg.org​.

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Advanced-Brain Wellness Program:
​AVE Brain Training

Are you stressed or do you find it hard to focus? Do you lie awake at night with your thoughts spinning? Are you lacking energy? If you said yes to any of these, then this program may be a perfect fit for you! Support your brain’s health and take charge of your wellness with Audio-Visual Entrainment - a holistic brain-training program that uses lights and sounds to improve your focus, energy, and calm.

Train once or twice weekly, for 3-6 weeks, in our private training rooms with a custom program that fits your schedule! You’ll be amazed at how you feel after a 30-minute session. Imagine how you’ll feel after regular training tailored to your goals. It’s one of the easiest and most relaxing ways to support a healthy brain and bring back some calm and focus into your life. Register today!

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Third-Party Billing Tops $3 Million in Revenue for Minnesota Charter Schools

Since 2011, charter schools throughout Minnesota have relied on ACTG’s Third-Party Billing service to receive extra funding for their special education needs. School funding is always less than what is needed and our service allows schools to receive funding through federal sources on top of the federal and state funding they already receive. To get this extra funding, schools have us bill for services like occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, audiology, mental health services, interpreters, special transportation, PCA services and more. With our extensive understanding of school finance, we are able to help schools navigate the complexities of third-party billing to make sure they are reporting expenditures properly with the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota Department of Health Services to ensure they receive full reimbursement.
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To date, we have served 70 charter schools and generated over $3 million in revenue for these schools which they can use to help fund special education needs. This past year alone, we assisted 46 schools and more than 1,800 eligible students. Click here to learn more about Third-Party Billing or call us at (612) 789-1236.