Children Visit the Hadley School for 
Treasure Hunt, TV Tune Out 

Winnetka? On March 6th over 50 children and their parents hunted through the halls of The 
Hadley School for the Blind for clues to a treasure map as they participated in the 13th annual TV 
Tune Out sponsored by The Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood. Along the way they had the 
chance to learn more about blindness and a unique school in Winnetka.

Eight-year-old guest speaker Charlie Gentzkow, of Winnetka, shared his experiences about being 
visually impaired and answered a flurry of questions directed at him. Charlie has been visually 
impaired since he was 3 months old and continues to engage in the same type of activities that 
sighted children are involved in. “It made Charlie’s day to see so many friends interested in 
learning about what it means to be visually impaired,” said Jennifer Gentzkow, mother to Charlie. 
“We are grateful to the Hadley School for the opportunity to share his story.”

Hands-on activities like trying on goggles that simulate various visual impairments, listening to 
talking computer software and getting their names written in braille offered the opportunity for 
children and adults to learn more about what it feels like to be blind and how those who are blind 
communicate.

“Members of the community are always welcome to visit Hadley and learn more about blindness,” 
said Susan Dennison, Hadley Director of Development and Communications. “As a distance 
education school, we don’t have students on site, so an event like TV Tuneout is fun for staff and 
the community.”

Hadley, 700 Elm St., Winnetka, is a distance education school that serves over 10,000 students 
annually in all 50 states and 100 countries. All courses are offered free of charge to those who are 
blind and Hadley relies on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations to fund its 
programs.

TV Tune Out is a week-long event with over 30 schools in Winnetka, Northfield and North Shore 
communities participating. It involves families, schools and various organizations and businesses 
working together to provide activities that celebrate kids and the community in which they live.