Judi Fenton, an education expert who once called the South End home, will return to the island this month as the featured speaker at the South Whidbey Schools Foundation’s annual gala dinner.

The event begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26, and is held at Useless Bay Golf & Country Club.

Fenton is an internationally-recognized education consultant, and was principal of South Whidbey Primary School from 1991 to 1996 before going on to pursue teaching and administrative assignments on four continents at international schools, many sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Her talk will focus on the increasing incorporation of technology in the classroom and how it can be grounded in what Fenton calls ‘the Four C’s of Education: collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking.’

“I think it’s time we add a fifth C for compassion,” she said.

“Working with students in third-world countries, I am increasingly interested in finding a way for students in developed countries to share their 21st century knowledge and skills with students in the developing world,” she added.

The annual dinner is the Foundation’s largest funding source of the approximately $20,000 it distributes to local teachers each year for innovative classroom projects and specialized equipment. Since 1997, the organization has distributed more than $150,000 in classroom grants.

The event will also include a demonstration by South Whidbey Academy’s Underwater Robotics Club, Robotics Anonymous — a recipient of Foundation funding — and an auction with items ranging from a Georgia Gerber bronze of playful otters to a four-night junior suite stay at a Fairmont Hotel and Resort location in the U.S. or Canada.

Cost is $75. For tickets or details, visit www.SWSFoundation.org