The expansion and renovation of Hope Hall School is now in full swing, on track to be completed by the start of school in September. The current music room and woodworking center will be upgraded and expanded, a new and updated science lab will be built, and a new inventory management center is being created under the Woodworking Center. The former science lab will be converted into a Social-Emotional Learning Center.
All of this building is the result of a four-year $18 million comprehensive fundraising initiative called the Hope for Tomorrow Campaign. In addition to the construction taking place, this campaign funds general repairs to the school, parts of which are over 80 years old. The Campaign will also encompass financial aid and scholarships for students, funding for programs, capacity building and long term funding.
The groundbreaking on the new venture took place in mid-February. Since that launch, construction contractor Taylor, The Builders has made steady progress, digging the foundation on the expansion and laying the outside walls before the end of the school year. Asbestos abatement and wall removal had to wait until all of the students were done with school and the music and woodworking facilities were no longer needed for classes. The wing where the construction is happening has now been partitioned off for work, for the safety of the teachers and 40 students participating in Hope Hall’s Summer Program, while the new exterior walls of the school are going higher each day.
“This is an exciting time for the school,” remarked Sister Diana Dolce, S.S.J, the school’s Founder and Executive Director. “Not since we completed the high school wing of the school in 2011 have we made such monumental changes to our building, which will allow us to better serve the needs of our students. Every individual, Foundation, and Corporate Partner who has made a gift to our Hope for Tomorrow Campaign can feel proud that they are helping children who learn differently thrive and become successful learners, and that they are making a significant investment in the future of our community.”
Hope Hall is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit school, whose teachers use The Dolce Method of Learning Mastery©, created by Sister Diana. This unique methodology is specifically designed for students with learning challenges such as ADD, ADHD, anxiety disorders, forms of Autism, Central Auditory Processing disorder, and/or a low average IQ.
Hope Hall is grateful to key donors, Mark and Maureen Davitt, Robert F. and Mary P. Hastings Foundation, the Karpus Family Foundation, and Florence M. Muller Foundation, along with hundreds of others, for their generosity in supporting the vision of the Hope for Tomorrow Campaign in transforming Hope Hall School, in order to provide augmented services and enhanced programming, scholarships and financial aid.
For more information on the Hope for Tomorrow Campaign, and to make a gift or become a Corporate Sponsor, visit https://tinyurl.com/HopeforTomorrowCampaign.
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