The School of Imagination (SOI), located in Dublin, California, was founded to serve the child care, pre-school and kindergarten readiness needs of children with developmental disabilities and typically-developing children in the Bay Area.  SOI is a non-profit education center built on the award winning methodology of the Happy Talkers program established in 2000.  Since 2000, over 2,500 children with speech delays, developmental disabilities and autism have found our program to be a nurturing, home-like environment in which to learn.  Here they thrive through curricula, which are adapted to their individual needs, capabilities and learning goals.  SOI’s mission is “to bring out the extraordinary in every child.” SOI was honored with the 2007 Organization of the Year award for Dublin, California.

The Pleasanton Harvest Festival is proud to offer this wonderful charity a portion of the proceeds from shopping bag sales, parcel checks and gift wrapping donations. The School of Imagination will be hosting the KidZone, which provides a specialized, hands-on area for kids to participate in arts and crafts activities. In addition, the School of Imagination will be giving back to the community by providing free developmental screenings and consultations at the festival for parents with questions about their child’s development along with valuable resources. 

Guests can shop from over 24,000 unique handmade items, including original art, jewelry, pottery, gourmet food items, home décor and more! Returning for 2008, the Pleasanton Harvest Festival has revamped its show and will offer a live broadcast “Dining Around with Gene Burns” with KGO Radio’s own Gene Burns. Don’t miss you chance to taste and pair delicious gourmet foods and wonderful local wines from Livermore, all while shopping and supporting a worthy cause.

WHAT: Pleasanton Harvest Festival  
WHEN: September 12 – 14, 2008
WHERE: Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave
TIME: Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
COST: Adults: $9, Seniors (62+) $7, Youth (13-17) $4, 12 & Under Free
(Tickets valid for re-entry all weekend)
                       
INFO:  Call 415-447-3205 or visit www.harvestfestival.com for tickets and additional information.

ABOUT THE HARVEST FESTIVAL
The Harvest Festival was recently acquired by Western Exhibitors, a small, family-owned company that has produced gift and home furnishing trade shows on the West Coast for more than 65 years.  Under their new management, the Harvest Festival has returned to its roots by offering a variety of entertainment and good old family fun.  Designed to provide guests with the ability to purchase personalized gifts, the Harvest Festival offers an unprecedented shopping experience that is fun for the whole family.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF IMAGINATION
Launched in 2004, the School of Imagination is a full inclusion Preschool and Kindergarten school that provides customized programs to bring out the extraordinary in every child. The School of Imagination preschool provides a small class size of 10 children and a teacher to student ratio of 4:1 or less.  Children benefit from individualized attention with fun and unique hands-on learning strategies tailored for ALL children. Teamwork centers are a part of the program to develop fine motor, sensory skills, sequencing, artistic expression, music awareness, math, and science, allowing children to develop the skills and confidence to succeed in all educational settings. Awarded 2007 Organization of the Year for Dublin, California, the School of Imagination is a national role model for inclusion programs. Organizations including:  California First Five, American Speech and Hearing Association, and the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, have endorsed SOI for its ground-breaking approach to education to bring out the extraordinary in every child.  For more information, or to reach our Parent Support Network, contact us at (877) KIDS-TLC or www.schoolofimagination.org.