A leader in education honoured

In April of this year, our Founder and Director Lucinda Low was presented with an Honourary Doctorate in Civil Laws by Acadia University.  This was a fitting tribute to a woman who has spent 30 years fighting for the rights of students with learning disabilities across Nova Scotia.  Her first school opened in Wolfville, the home of Acadia, in the early 80's with one student and one teacher at her kitchen table.  Today, Bridgeway Academy serves more than 100 students at two schools in Dartmouth and Truro.  We help hundreds of other students, parents and professionals through our Turning Tides Community Outreach programs. 

Here's a bit more on Cindy and her journey to becoming Dr. Lucinda Low.

Rhonda 

Lucinda Low

Founder and Executive Director
Bridgeway Academy

Lucinda Low believes in children.  She believes any child with a learning disability can learn, and she refuses to give up on that belief, even when that child may have given up on herself.

It’s that belief that led a woman with only a grade nine education to demand that her son receive the services he needed from the province of Nova Scotia.  When the right program could not be found, it’s the same belief that led her to started Bridgeway Academy, a school for children with learning disabilities. 

Over the last 27 years, Bridgeway has helped hundreds of students do more than learn.  They leave the school believing in themselves, with an understanding of their learning disabilities and an ability to advocate for the services they need to succeed.

Lucinda’s advocacy work extends over 30 years.  She was the Founder and President of Children’s Opportunities Mean Everything, a support group for parents with children with learning disabilities in the Halifax area.  She held executive positions with the Atlantic Conference on Learning Disabilities and the Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia (LDANS).  She also served on the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on Learning Disabilities. 

Lucinda has received many accolades over the years.  In 1982, she received the Mary Hornby Award from the Atlantic Conference on Learning Disabilities for her contributions to the goal of achieving respect and understanding for youth with special learning needs.  In 1992, she was presented with the President’s Award by the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia for her contributions to the mental health community.  In 2010, Cindy was presented with a Progress Women of Excellence Award in the field of Research and Education.  And in 2001, Bridgeway Academy received the National Excellence of Education Award from the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada for outstanding contribution to the field of learning disabilities and education.

Lucinda is married and has three children, three grandchildren, and in her spare time, creates and sells jewellery with her sister in a business they call “Sisters Too.”