The Campus School at Boston College and the Franciscan Children’s Hospital Kennedy Day School have announced a collaborative partnership that will allow both schools to serve their special needs students more effectively while maintaining their own students, staff, brand, and physical location.
In a letter sent to staff and parents at the Campus School on November 5, Stanton E. F. Wortham, Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School of Education and Human Development said that the Campus School and the Kennedy Day School have unique strengths in their respective facilities, programs, and staff, and that the partnership will allow their students to benefit from opportunities and services available at both schools through increased collaboration and administrative coordination.
“The Campus School and its students benefit from an extensive volunteer program with Boston College undergraduates and the research expertise of Boston College faculty, who work with staff to envision and improve evidence-based practice,” said Wortham. “The Kennedy Day School has expansive physical facilities—including a therapeutic pool, music room, fully adaptive playground, and therapy rooms—and this collaborative partnership may allow Campus School students to benefit from these facilities, as well as dental clinics and other clinical services for children with special needs.”
Other potentially shared benefits include an Applied Behavioral Analysis program for students on the autism spectrum, along with in-school therapy and on-site nursing services for all students.
Both the Campus School and Kennedy Day School serve children and young adults ages 3-21. The Kennedy Day School hosts approximately 60 students with complex needs from communities in the Greater Boston area, while the Campus School currently serves 33 students.
We are excited about the prospects of two institutions working together for the sake of the students and families we serve. We view this as a mutually beneficial relationship that will utilize the strengths and resources of both schools.
Wortham noted that Boston College has had much success in collaborating with fellow Catholic institutions in Brighton. The collaboration with Saint Columbkille Partnership School, he said, has provided extensive benefits for both entities, with Saint Columbkille enjoying the presence and support of Boston College students and faculty, and Boston College having an exemplary partner where student teachers and others can be trained in their field.
“Boston College and Franciscan Children’s Hospital expect that the partnership between the Campus School and the Kennedy Day School will yield similar benefits for students, while maintaining each institution's distinctiveness and independence,” said Wortham.
A committee composed of staff and parents from each institution will begin planning the details of the partnership with a focus on how best to students schools throughout the coming year. The committee will provide regular updates on their progress.
The Campus School will also host virtual Q&A sessions with parents, staff, and BC student volunteers in the coming week.
“We are excited about the prospects of two institutions working together for the sake of the students and families we serve,” said Wortham. “We view this as a mutually beneficial relationship that will utilize the strengths and resources of both schools.”
University Communications | November 2020