GATEWAY TO INDEPENDENCE
CAPITAL AND ENDOWMENT CAMPAIGN
$5 MILLION BY 2011

Our Vision  |  Our Students  |  Our Growth  |  Our Next Challenge 
Our Fundraising Goals  |  Program Initiatives  |  Technological Initiatives
Initiatives for Professional Excellence/Capital Improvements/Endowment Growth

Our Vision:
The Pathway School is a unique learning center, dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young adults with special needs through the development and implementation of innovative learning and treatment services. Our goal is to foster our students’ independence in a nurturing and stimulating learning and living environment that best prepares them for life after Pathway. Our work is fueled by the great compassion we have for the multiple challenges our students face; our reward is the great joy we feel for their sometimes small but always amazing accomplishments.

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Our Students:
Pathway students have complex needs. They have learning issues in combination with neuropsychiatric, physical, medical, and emotional problems that have not been successfully addressed in other educational settings. Many times, their self-esteem has suffered a great deal before coming to Pathway, and they often feel hopeless and at a loss for the academic and social skills needed to lead a satisfying life. At Pathway, we expect that our students will go on to do great things in life; our goal is to help them acquire the basic skills they need to contribute as citizens and thrive as individuals.

Unlike more traditional schools, we work with the whole child. Our rich environment encourages behavior that nurtures self-esteem and the development of friendships. Our unique combination of academic and vocational experience provides a balanced and realistic preparation for future self-sufficiency. Finally, our professional therapeutic and clinical support encourages our students’ emotional growth and stimulates the confidence they need to embrace their uniqueness.

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Our Growth:
The Pathway School was founded in 1961. At that time, it served 30 day-students in rented space in a church basement. Now, it is a learning and residential complex of 16 buildings on 14 acres in Norristown, Pennsylvania, with a staff of 225 and an enrollment in 2005 of 170. Students, ages 8-21, come from school districts in over 13 states, some as far away as Texas, California, Vermont, and Washington

In July 2005, the Pathway School celebrated a significant milestone with the opening of Independence Hall, an 11,000 square foot facility dedicated to the development of programs that focus on vocational and life skills. The completion of this very special learning center, incorporating 6 classrooms, a life skills center, and administrative offices, underscores Pathway’s commitment to improving the lives of its students.

Most of the financial support for Pathway’s remarkable, personalized programs comes from the students’ sponsoring school districts with help from generous individual and foundation donors. But in order to build Independence Hall, The Pathway School needed to raise an additional $2.1 million, and we were able to do so in just 4 years through the Future Without Limits Campaign. The success of this campaign attests to Pathway’s reputation as a valuable specialized learning center that plays a key role in providing critical services to students with special needs.

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Our Next Challenge:
Over the years, Pathway has gained considerable knowledge and expertise in helping the hard to reach student. Still we want to do so much more for these complex young people who deserve the very best. Our next challenge has three main components.

First, our students’ futures depend upon their ability to learn how to forge and maintain relationships with others in their communities, their workplaces, and their families. We are committed to continuing to develop our unique curriculum and therapeutic programs, in particular those focused on vocational and social skills and the arts.

Second, we are committed to providing our professionals with the technological infrastructure and educational software that will enable them to leverage their expertise and best serve each student. The use of technology in classrooms and living environments will never replace the teaching that occurs in the context of the human “teachable moment,” but great advances have been made in technology that assists with classroom instruction and clinical therapy. In addition, technology is now available that would enable all parents to partner participate more actively in their child’s program.

Third, we are committed to ensuring the long-term future of The Pathway School by enhancing our funds for professional development, acquiring real estate property to house expanded and new programs, and building a strong endowment fund. Those who support Pathway’s commitment to providing challenged youth with the opportunity for personal growth, strong relationships, and renewed hope understand that we must be able to attract and retain great faculty and staff, we must have enough space to offer the best services possible, and we must have the funds to continue to set new standards of excellence in our programs and environment.

Pathway has made considerable progress in laying the groundwork necessary to meet our new goals, but still we are behind the curve. In order to realize our mission and continue to act as a gateway to independence for our deserving students, we are seeking to raise $5 million by the school’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2011.

Our Fundraising Goals:
The following initiatives outline how the funds raised through the Gateway to Independence Campaign will be used to assure Pathway’s continued success. These goals have been developed in accordance with our strategic planning committee and are designed to benefit all present and future Pathway students.

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PROGRAM INITIATIVES
		Program Development Expand the opportunities for students to develop the social and emotional skills needed for success in life through the purchase and development of curriculum that supports students in forming healthy and mature relationships based on mutual self-respect. Further integrate the concepts of emotional intelligence with academic and vocational goals.
		Enhancement of the Arts Expand opportunities for artistic expression. The arts have been shown to help students develop social and imaginative skills and build confidence and self-esteem, and art education plays an important role at Pathway. Traditional visual arts offerings will be complimented by offerings in drama, set and prop design, dance, instrumental and vocal opportunities, as well as other life-long means of personal expression. Additional collaborations with community arts and theater groups will be sought to further enrich our students’ arts education.
		Transition Service Development Expand transition and vocational opportunities so that our students can better understand how to become contributing members in their communities. Assist parents and students in understanding the strengths and challenges that affect a student’s ability to reach his or her maximum potential.
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TECHNOLOGICAL INITIATIVES
		Technology Enhancement Improve communication tools used by students’ team members to promote greater consistency and effectiveness by allowing for more immediate monitoring and modification of instruction and therapeutic strategies. Apply advances in data base technology and enhance interaction among team members in real time with regards to student progress. Enhance existing programs with new technology and learning software. Increase technical support staff. Enrich student life by providing opportunities for independent study, videotaping, editing, producing news and science programs, note taking, and daily schedule planning.
		Research Development Broaden the diagnostic process through the use and adaptation of a variety of assessment tools and programs. Continue to develop a specialized diagnostic tool that will enable Pathway to gain deeper insight into a student’s unique strengths and challenges. Completion of this tool will guide our faculty in the development of strategies and interventions that will be used in a trans-disciplinary fashion across learning and living environments.
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INITIATIVES FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, And ENDOWMENT GROWTH
		Professional Excellence Improve and increase staff training and enrichment opportunities for professional development. Increase salaries to improve retention of exceptional professionals. Provide internship programs for training new staff. Collaborate with local colleges to enable faculty-training programs and increase awareness in the community of Pathway’s unique services.
		Acquire Real Estate Purchase property to provide students additional opportunities for independent living experiences. Purchase other properties and upgrade current buildings to improve educational centers that will enhance technical or vocational skill development.
		Endowment Development Interest from this fund, which is comprised of a collection of unrestricted and restricted gifts, will provide the money needed for ongoing operation and maintenance of Pathway programs. Endowed gifts form a solid basis for the school to advance with confidence into the future. This campaign will more than double Pathway’s existing endowment, currently forecast to reach $650,000 by June of 2006, and bring the measure of financial security necessary for our growth.

Conclusion:
On the eve of its 50th anniversary, The Pathway School renews its vow to help young people who face daunting challenges in their lives achieve their greatest potential. But public and private funding alone cannot provide the required resources. The staff and students at Pathway need and deserve all of our efforts and support in assisting them to become independent, contributing citizens. Your contribution to the Gateway to Independence Campaign will help us realize our institutional goals and help our students achieve their dreams.

Pathway’s success, both today and tomorrow, begins with a deep commitment to our staff and to our students, as well as a belief that our donors and families appreciate and understand the impact their gift will make on the lives of Pathway’s students. During and beyond the campaign, Pathway will continue to count on Annual Fund gifts to every one of our financial priorities, including faculty salaries and tuition assistance. We ask that you maintain your generous annual support of the School while investing in the School’s future through a gift to the Gateway to Independence Campaign.

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