The Promise School is Awarded the “Difference Makers” Trophy

The Promise School Named a Difference Maker by Beacon College | Charleston

A Moment of Gratitude

We've Been Named a Difference Maker

Our founders, Brandie and Daniel D'Orazio, have been honored by Beacon College's "A World of Difference" as Difference Makers for Season 7.

Published September 29, 2026  ·  The Promise School, Charleston, SC

This week, something arrived that left us a little speechless. Our founders, Brandie and Daniel D'Orazio, have been named Difference Makers as part of Season 7 of "A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity," the award-winning series created by Darryl Owens and produced by Beacon College that streams on PBS. Seeing our family's names etched beside that bright green lightbulb, the show's symbol of possibility, is a moment we will hold onto for a long time.

Brandie D'Orazio holds the A World of Difference Difference Makers award in front of The Promise School mission wall in Charleston.
Head of School and co-founder Brandie D'Orazio with the Season 7 Difference Makers award from Beacon College's "A World of Difference."

We are so grateful to Beacon College and the entire "A World of Difference" team for this recognition, and for the care they took in telling our story. Thank you for shining a light on neurodivergent learners and the families who love them. It means more to us than we can put into words.

If we're being honest, this award does not belong to us alone. It belongs to every family who has trusted us with their child. It belongs to the teachers and therapists who show up each day with patience and heart. And it belongs to the students who walk through our doors and discover, sometimes for the first time, just how capable they are.

Close-up of the A World of Difference award from Beacon College engraved for Brandie and Daniel D'Orazio, Difference Makers, Season 7.
The award reads: A World of Difference, Beacon College. Brandie and Daniel D'Orazio, Difference Makers, Season 7.

One family's promise, still growing

The Promise School began as one family's promise. When their own children received neurodivergent diagnoses, Brandie and Daniel didn't give up. They got to work, building the kind of school they wished had existed: a place grounded in consistent routines, strength-based learning, and real therapeutic support. Watching that promise grow into a place that changes other families' lives is the truest honor of all.

Earlier this month, our story aired in the Season 7 premiere of "A World of Difference," which streams on PBS and free nationwide on the PBS app. If you have not seen it yet, we would love for you to watch and share it with a family who might need to hear it.

Late enrollment for 2026-2027 is open

If you are looking for a place where your child is known, supported, and celebrated, we would love to hear from you. Classes are small and space is limited.

Start Your Application Call 843.604.5355

To everyone who has been part of this journey, thank you. You are the reason this school exists, and you are the difference makers we are the most proud of.

#ThePromiseSchool #DifferenceMakers #AWorldOfDifference #BeaconCollege #Neurodiversity #LearningDifferences #CharlestonSC

The Promise School, Charleston, SC
A private, nonprofit school for students with language-based learning differences.
promise-school.com  ·  843.604.5355
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The Promise School Airs on "A World of Difference" and Receives the Difference Maker Award