Aliso Viejo, California, February 8, 2012 – As John Hausman toured the new classroom at St.
Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo, he viewed the new iPads and desk top computers, and listened carefully
to the explanations of the specialist software.
“All this would have been so great for me!” Hausman said.
The Hausman Family Foundation built the classroom. Hausman was diagnosed with dyslexia
in elementary school. His mother Marilyn persisted in learning to help him work with his condition and
Hausman’s own determination enabled him to succeed through school, college and in business.
“In those days it was all flash cards, paper-based work and endless repetition,” Hausman said.
“Now, technology is a tremendous help for all kinds of students in the learning process.”
The Hausman Family Foundation was established in memory of Marilyn, who passed away in
2008. It helps children with special needs and supports educational programs. The Foundation was
inspired by John’s success and perseverance in overcoming his own learning challenges. The
Foundation has partnered with St. Mary’s School and the Center for Learning (C4L) to establish a
pioneering learning laboratory – an extension of an eight-year relationship between St. Mary’s and
C4L.
The Foundation’s gift of more than $80,000 over three years will be matched by C4L. It will
provide the hardware and software in the classroom at St. Mary’s, as well as the full time support of
educational coordinators for three years.
C4L’s Coordinator Vista Kushesh said, “We can help in many different situations and subject
areas. We have programs to aid reading, master math, Spanish, fine motor skills, and test-taking. We
even help students with work planning and time management. These valuable teaching tools for kids
with special challenges such as dyslexia, help them master skills and build confidence. Used in
different situations, these programs are also great for mainstream learners.”
Hausman’s training and his own efforts have enabled him to conquer many challenges to
become successful in life. He works as a sales executive for a mobile communications company and
consistently earns awards for his work with his clients.
Hausman has a great appreciation for the help he received and said, “The theme of effort and
reward is important to me too. The Hausman Family Foundation wants to support organizations that
can use our help alongside their own resources to build success and help kids learn. St. Mary’s and
C4L are great partners for us and they plan to use our funding in innovative ways to help St. Mary’s
students.”
Hausman hopes that this joint venture will be the first of many.
“Our ambition for the Foundation is that this program will be a prototype which we can roll out
across other Orange County schools; a partnership to advance education to benefit the community.”
About The Hausman Family Foundation
The Hausman Family Foundation is dedicated to supporting cutting edge research to help fight diseases, give aid to children with special needs, and support education, health and human welfare. A key role will be to help promote self reliance and independence with accountability and to support the preservation of our community in every way.
About St. Mary’s School
St. Mary’s School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School dedicated to inquirybased academic excellence, developing well-rounded, confident children who flourish in a creative environment founded on Christian values. As the only private school in Orange County to offer the IB Programme, the school’s curriculum promotes the development of critical thinking skills for students in Preschool through Grade Eight. Through a unique combination of rigorous academic standards, foreign languages, technology, field studies, sports, arts and music set in a Christian environment, students develop into global thinkers. Our inquiry-based approach and optimum class sizes provide the foundation to cultivate future global leaders for an increasingly diverse and technology-based society. For more information on the St. Mary’s Preschool through Grade Eight curriculum or International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, call 949.448.9027 or visit the St. Mary’s web site at www.smaa.org.
About The Center for Learning
The Center for Learning (C4L) was founded in 1999 with the vision of providing comprehensive assessment and educational and psychological interventions to children with unique learning styles as well as to assist their parents in navigating the educational system. C4L was also designed to incorporate the knowledge of multiple disciplines (psychology and education) in order to maximize student success. C4L is now operating in Irvine and at satellite offices in Aliso Viejo and San Juan Capistrano. Led by a highly qualified staff, C4L uses research-based interventions that are in the forefront of our field for students of all ages.
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