ATO Fraternity Gives Back to USM’s DuBard School

Mon, 04/22/2024 - 03:24pm | By: KaTrisha Roberson

The brothers of Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) hosted their highly anticipated annual crawfish boil fundraiser on Saturday, April 20 with resounding success. This year’s event, held at Spirit Park on USM’s Hattiesburg campus, drew an enthusiastic crowd of supporters from the community.

The annual crawfish boil has become a beloved tradition within the community for its festive atmosphere and profound impact on local charitable organizations. ATO’s dedication to philanthropy and community service continues to make a difference.

The funds raised this year will directly contribute to supporting the vital programs and resources offered by USM’s DuBard School for Language Disorders, ensuring that students receive the education and assistance they need to thrive.

“We are immensely grateful to the brothers of Alpha Tau Omega and everyone involved in making this event a tremendous success," expressed Dr. Missy Schraeder, Director of DuBard School. “Their commitment to our cause and the amount raised will make a meaningful impact on the lives of our students. We deeply appreciate their ongoing support.”

The DuBard School for Language Disorders currently serves 80 children in its full-time enrollment program. These children have an average of 5.6 diagnoses each, with primary disability rulings in speech, language, and/or hearing. The school is non-graded, with students progressing at their own rates of progress. On average, children attend DuBard School for five years before returning to their home school districts to continue their education.

DuBard School is privileged to serve students from our state with significant difficulties with speech, language, hearing, and academic skills. Our enrollment program provides full-day therapy by our speech-language pathologists all at no cost to our families.

About the DuBard School for Language Disorders

DuBard School for Language Disorders was established in 1962 and is a Southern Miss Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences clinical division of the School of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Southern Miss. The school serves children with severe language/speech disorders, including the written language disorder of dyslexia and/or hearing impairments, and provides guidance and counseling for parents and families of the children. The school is a practicum site for university students majoring in speech-language pathology, audiology, or deaf education and dyslexia therapy. DuBard School for Language Disorders is a United Way agency.