Inspired by Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, the focus of our annual fundraiser, A Novel Night on February 28, 2026, our theme celebrates the idea that our differences are often the source of our greatest strengths. Like Percy, who has dyslexia and ADHD, our students face real challenges, but they are also discovering their power to rise, lead, and make a difference.

At Horizon Academy, our students are learning to understand their learning profiles, advocate for themselves, and develop strategies that empower them to succeed in school, relationships, and life. Every moment of progress, reading independently, solving a difficult problem, or speaking up in class, is a moment of unleashed potential.

But impact at Horizon Academy doesn’t stop there.

• Our faculty unleashes their impact through expert instruction grounded in the science of reading and learning.

• Our staff and families do so by partnering to ensure every student thrives.

• Our donors and volunteers provide critical resources that make our work possible.

• And our community shows up—to learn, advocate, and stand beside students with language-based learning disabilities.

Join Us to Unleash Your Impact.

This October, during Dyslexia Awareness Month, we’ll celebrate the many ways our students, educators, families, and supporters embrace the brilliance of neurodiversity, and we invite you to be part of the movement.

One powerful way to engage is by attending Brilliantly Wired on October 1, 2025. This will be our inaugural event: a morning of inspiration where community leaders share how dyslexia has shaped their success. Proceeds support Horizon Academy’s educational programs and scholarships.

You don’t need to be an educator—or wait for Dyslexia Awareness Month—to make a difference. Here are five ways you can unleash your impact today and throughout the year:

• Volunteer – A few hours at school or an event can make a meaningful difference.
• Experience a Learning Disability Simulation – Build empathy and insight into the challenges our students face.
• Join our Read-A-Thon (October 21–24) – Help promote a love of reading for all learners.
• Advocate – Share what you learn. Conversation breaks stigma and builds understanding.
• Donate – Your gift helps provide scholarships for students who otherwise could not attend.

At Horizon Academy, we’re not just teaching students to read—we’re helping them write their own stories. Thank you for being part of that story. Thank you for choosing to Unleash Your Impact so our students can thrive.

As she got older, the challenges grew beyond academics. School became socially difficult, with little support or understanding from her peers. Friendships were hard to maintain, and Annaliese grew increasingly isolated. Though her mother considered moving her in fifth grade, she stayed in hopes that the school could provide the help she needed. By the end of the year, it was clear: the system wasn’t equipped. Analiese started at Horizon Academy in sixth grade.

The difference has been remarkable. While she still faces challenges, Analiese is experiencing more and more good days. Her mom shares moments of finding her curled up reading a book on her own, which is a beautiful thing to behold. She no longer dreads school, a victory for any middle schooler, and her confidence continues to grow.

Analiese’s executive function skills have blossomed, too. She wakes up independently, makes her own breakfast and lunch, and eagerly offers to help more around the house. Socially, she’s thriving—more comfortable with friends, more adept at picking up social cues, and less anxious overall. Instead of filling silence with chatter, she’s learning to enjoy calm moments.

The ripple effects have touched her whole family. Analiese used to frequently avoid a family game played during dinner, but is more likely to participate now. She needs less time alone to decompress and can spend more time connecting with the people who love her most.

Her mom praises the teachers at Horizon Academy as “fabulous,” noting that Analiese’s excitement for learning spills into everyday life—sometimes even turning the car ride home into an impromptu science or social studies lesson.

For Analiese, Horizon Academy hasn’t just changed her education: It’s changed her life.

The ways we engage with the community should also be dynamic. This year, we are hosting an inaugural event we hope will change the conversation about dyslexia in our community. What can success with dyslexia look like? How do you create a career with the unique gifts of a dyslexic brain? Horizon Academy is the area’s premier school for students with language-based learning disabilities, and we should be modeling these conversations for parents, employers, and community leaders.

Brilliantly Wired: Dyslexia and the Strengths that Set Us Apart is more than stories of resilience. This event is about engaging leaders who think differently, breaking stigmas, and discovering the power we hold to rewrite stories for the next generation of learners. I hope you will join us for this essential conversation on October 1 as we kick off Dyslexia Awareness Month. Proceeds from this event will support Horizon Academy’s need-based scholarships and new educational outreach programs that take our work into the community.

A Novel Night continues to evolve as well. In February, our event will celebrate with Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. We are thrilled to celebrate a book featuring a main character with dyslexia and ADHD! On his quest, Percy discovers his true identity as a demigod and the superpowers within him waiting to be unleashed. This story inspired our all-school theme: Unleash Your Impact. It has also inspired our curriculum this year with the study of ancient civilizations.

This year, we call on you to Unleash Your Impact! Will you join us as a table host for Brilliantly Wired and elevate community conversation? Or dive into a sea of generosity and creativity at A Novel Night? Our world and our students are waiting for your superpowers.

Brilliantly Wired: Dyslexia and the Strengths that Set Us Apart

A Signature Event for Dyslexia Awareness Month

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

7:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center

8788 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66212

In celebration of Dyslexia Awareness Month, Horizon Academy invites you to join us for the inaugural Brilliantly Wired event—a morning of inspiration, conversation, and community focused on celebrating the brilliance of different minds. Together, we’ll explore how learning differences can shape lives, spark creativity, and fuel success.

Featured Speakers:

• Jo Marie Scaglia – Kansas City restaurant owner and founder of The Mixx and Caffeteria Modern Cafe + Marketplace, a passionate advocate for whole, real food and inclusive work environments.
• Justin Antoniotti – President and General Manager of KMBC, a leader in local media with a commitment to community storytelling and education.
• Marc Murphy (joining remotely from NYC) – Celebrity chef, Food Network personality, and author, sharing his personal journey with dyslexia and creative success.

Brilliantly Wired is more than stories of resilience. This event is about changing lives through science-based education and rewriting stories for the next generation of learners. This is an exclusive morning with high-impact leaders who think—and lead—differently. Seats are limited—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Individual tickets start at $50, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Click here to register.

Nick Bennett possesses a quiet confidence that you notice when you meet him: It’s the kind of presence that comes from years of perseverance, hard work, and finding the right environment to grow. Nevertheless, his journey to that point wasn’t an easy one.

Before arriving at Horizon Academy in the middle of 6th grade, Nick was struggling. He spent half of his school days in a separate learning center, working with tutors but not finding the help he truly needed. They thought he was ready for middle school, but he still needed more help. “I felt depressed. Every time I did homework I cried and felt like it was too hard,” he recalls. One teacher even told Nick’s parents he was lazy, but this was far from the truth.

At Horizon Academy, everything changed. “The teachers were really nice to me, and the students were nice too. The counselors and teachers understood what needed to be done,” Nick says. For the first time, his effort was recognized, and he felt truly understood. That encouragement helped him develop both skills and confidence. “It made me feel smarter and ready for high school. I could actually focus on my work and know I could do it. It helped me transition into high school and get the support I needed.”

Today, Nick is starting his senior year at Park Hill South High School with an ambitious schedule. Half of each day, he participates in an NCAPS (Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies) program in digital media and marketing. He also works as an apprentice at his martial arts school, where he holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and teaches students self-defense skills they can apply in real-life situations. His long-term goal: to run his own martial arts dojo.

Looking back, Nick credits Horizon with providing the foundation he still relies on every day. “The math, reading, and writing skills I learned there — I still use them while I’m working and in school,” he says. Maybe most importantly, while at Horizon Academy, Nick gained the confidence to believe in himself.

My involvement with Horizon Academy began many years ago when I was asked by the

founding Moms to be a part of the initial planning committee. As a Developmental Pediatrician and Division Director at Children’s Mercy, I had the privilege of serving many children and teens with various learning and developmental differences, and clearly recognized the immense need and the value a school like Horizon Academy would add to our community.

Our family later experienced the benefits of the school’s expertise when my own daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia. She utilized the tutoring center throughout her middle and high school years, and stayed connected to the tutor throughout college. We are forever grateful for how her confidence and learning strategies grew and changed through this experience with Horizon Academy.

So all these 25+ years later, I am still honored to be a part of this true gem of a school that is serving and changing the lives of students from all over our community. As Board President, I have two priorities:

• Create more opportunities for our board members to engage directly with the school’s mission and be more present in the life of the community. By deepening our understanding and involvement, we aim to better support the students, educators, and families who make this school so special.

• Advance our strategic initiatives in educational outreach. We want more of the region’s educators and health professionals to be able to recognize potential learning disabilities, understand best learning practices, and know that Horizon Academy is here to support students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities.

Horizon Academy is the area’s premier school and education center for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities, as well as a valuable training resource in the community. I invite you to join me in championing our mission.

Members

Doug Bates, Allison Bush-Kingsley (HAPA), Ashley Cheung, Craig Hakkio, Rebecca Coulson, Joe Houlehan, Kevin Humiston, Jeff Jenkins, Michael Jury, Dr. Elizabeth Milkovich, Sarah Murphy, Ashley Sight, Sarah Smith, Sarah Sosland, Kelly St.Clair

Lifetime Honorary Board

Rick Boxx, Bob Dunn, Laura Hall, Paula Halsey, Sharyl Kennedy, and Jenny Vaughan

Mission

Horizon Academy empowers students diagnosed with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities to become effective learners and confident self-advocates.

In addition to our school-year full-day program, we have several options for students: June Full-Day Program, Tutoring Online or In-Person during the School Year and Summer, and Executive Function Coaching.

For parents, educators, and other adults, Horizon Academy offers Orton-Gillingham Teacher Training, Learning Disability Simulations, and a Community Education Series.