Ben Bronz Academy and The Learning Incentive are excited about a new future in a new West Hartford location.
Submitted
Students at Ben Bronz Academy and The Learning Incentive are starting summer school in a new location this year, as after 30 years at the former location their school moved to a new building, right next door to Northwest Catholic High School and across the street from St. Timothy Middle School at 11 Wampanoag Dr.
“We are excited for our move and the potential for growth for the Ben Bronz Foundation, Inc.,” said Ben Bronz Foundation Executive Director Kim Holley. “In addition to our current educational offerings, we are working collaboratively with both Northwest Catholic and St. Timothy Middle School to develop a partnership that will benefit students from all of our schools. While we are enthusiastic about the possibilities that the future holds, we are also very committed to the fundamental philosophies and integrity of our program that has made us successful for over 30 years.”
At Ben Bronz Academy, a special education, private day school program, the primary focus is the student. At this state-approved special education program, students in grades 2-12 have previously struggled in school because of Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Executive Functioning Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorders. nstruction is based on what each student needs to be successful and works to remediate academic skills so that students can return to their public school.
Not only do students learn about academics, but they also work to develop a toolbox of skills to help with planning, problem solving, communication and self-advocacy, according to Education Director Christina Lamphere.
“Ben Bronz Academy goes beyond academic achievement. They care for all their students and are able to make an impact in all aspects of their life,” said Marcela Nunex, parent of a Ben Bronz student. “They teach students how to learn and they make them excited about learning. This results in students also building higher self-confidence. Making the decision to place Ian away from his home school was a hard one, but one of the best decisions we made. Ian has shown tremendous progress over the last few years, has found other peers that actually care for him and accept him for who he is and, most importantly, he is also more confident.”
Ben Bronz Academy is much more than a school to many of its families. It is a community with common goals. Parents find a place that accepts their child, their struggles and their strengths. Students find that they are not the only one with their struggles and find an accepting peer group. Many parents comment that Ben Bronz Academy has “saved their child’s life.”
Ben Bronz has been a life changer for our family. It has taught our son to do more than learn to read – it has taught him how to learn,” said parent Liz Forrest.
For many students, the success they experience at Ben Bronz Academy is the first real, measurable success they have felt in school.
Parent Carrie Tracy said, “Learning will always be a struggle for my son; reading, writing, spelling, and math will always be a challenge. To spend your days, weeks, months, and years in school constantly struggling with no gains … Why would he want to continue? Once he transferred to Ben Bronz Academy, his education was tailored to how he learned, so that his struggles were no longer in vain. Ben Bronz is giving Chris a chance.”
Ben Bronz Foundation Inc. and its programs, the Learning Incentive and Ben Bronz Academy, moved to our new, larger building on 11 Wampanoag Dr., West Hartford at the end of June. They are currently running their summer programs and are looking forward to starting the 2018-2019 school year. The goal of the move is to provide more space for a growing school and to have dedicated space for years to come. Being so close to Northwest Catholic High School and Saint Timothy’s Middle School will allow for many creative partnerships in the future.
Parents and students are excited about the new building. Students are excited to have onsite lunches, many more classrooms, and a multi-purpose room for all-school meetings and assemblies. Plans for the future include integrating new technology in the building, a playscape on the grounds for recess and landscaping the school’s beautiful courtyard for students to enjoy!
The Learning Incentive, a program run by the Ben Bronz Foundation, Inc., supports children, teens, and adults, with or without a learning disability, who do not need a full day education program. The Learning Incentive offers summer programming, tutoring, study skills classes and classes for adults. The Learning Incentive has a newly refurbished room in its own wing of the building to host its program.
The future looks bright for Ben Bronz Foundation, Inc., but as with every endeavor, it’s always important to be mindful of the past and remember from where we have come.
Craig, an alumnus of Ben Bronz Academy who graduated in 1990, reminds us of how important the work is that is done at the Ben Bronz Foundation programs: “After years of struggling in school and thinking I couldn’t learn, the teachers at Ben Bronz Academy gave me the foundation to be an independent learner. Almost 30 years later, I still use the strategies they gave me to break down information so I can be successful in the workplace and in my personal life. I am so grateful for the positive impact Ben Bronz Academy had on my life.”
For more information about Ben Bronz Foundation, Inc. and the Ben Bronz Academy and The Learning Incentive programs, visit our websites www.benbronzfoundation.org, www.benbronzacademy.org or www.learningincentive.org or contact Executive Director Kim Holley at 860-236-5807 or [email protected].
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