New Balance Foundation Challenge

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Back in the 1960s when the Kennedy Day School was founded, most of our children had polio, cerebral palsy, or brain injuries.

Thanks to advances in medicine and technology, today we serve children who simply would not have survived 50 years ago. 

Our students face multiple physical and cognitive disabilities caused by premature birth, congenital anomalies, accidents, head injury, or illness. They rely on a wide range of adaptations and technology to assist them in their quest for independence.While the challenges our students face and the assistance they require has changed drastically over the years, one thing remains constant – the children’s desire to live and work as independently as possible.

Visitors to the Kennedy Day School typically notice energetic teachers, amazing students, and lots and lots of technology. They also notice small classrooms and crowded halls.

While the school is fully accessible, the rooms were originally designed as hospital rooms, and architects did not plan for all of our students’ adaptive equipment and technology needs. The school is simply too small for our kids!

In October of 2011, we celebrated the opening of a 20,000 sq. foot addition to the existing Kennedy School. The expanded school has larger, more flexible classrooms plus lots of additional programming opportunities -- a sensory motor room, vocational training space, adaptive technology center, culinary arts, and vision services. 

The next step is to renovate the existing school. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Claddagh Fund, Flatley Foundation, Klarman Family Foundation, Red and Blue Foundation, and Yawkey Foundation, we met a $500,000 challenge from New Balance Foundation, and have raised a total of $1.2M towards our $1.8M goal!  

We have just $300,000 left to go so that we can renovate the existing school and purchase all of the specialized equipment and adaptive technology our children need to become independent.  

If you are interested in making a gift to the Kennedy Day School project, please contact Diane Newark at 617-254-3800 x3084 or dnewark@fhfc.org.

Click here to view photos from the Ribboncutting»