2018 Annual Gala

GALA SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Jeannette Betancourt

This year at the SWH Gala we have a very special guest, Dr Jeannette Betancourt. We are so honored to have her at the event, as she is a revered advocate for all types of children. Dr. Betancourt is the Senior Vice President for U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. She directs the development and implementation of community and family engagement initiatives, making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and their families.

Dr. Betancourt is a licensed bilingual speech and language pathologist and an educational therapist. She also participates on several national and local boards and has contributed to the start of charter schools. Dr. Betancourt has a BA and MA in Speech and Language Pathology; a MS in Bilingual Reading/Special Education, and an EdD in Special Education.

She is the creator of the autistic Muppet, Julia, on Sesame Street. Her creation of the Julia character is part of Dr. Betancourt’s mission to encourage children to learn about others that have special needs and to teach kids how to interact and include them in everyday situations. She represents everything that SWH is all about and we are thrilled she will be attending.

Dr. Betancourt will be donating two books to every family that attends the Ripple Effect Gala. We hope to see you all there! Tickets can be purchased online at swimwithheart.org/gala.