IMAGINE ACADEMY HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE SPECIAL EDUCATION LANDSCAPE IN BROOKLYN. IT’S A COMMUNITY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, FOUNDED BY A GROUP OF COMMUNITY FAMILIES, ALL OF WHOM HAD CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. THE IDEA BEGAN WITH A CONVERSATION AFTER A SERIES OF INFORMAL SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS. EVERY COUPLE HAD THE SAME CONCERNS. THEY ALL WANTED TO PROVIDE THEIR CHILDREN WITH EXCELLENT EDUCATIONS, BUT THEIR CHILDREN WERE ATTENDING NON-COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, SOME IN OTHER STATES. THESE SCHOOLS DID NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN, DIDN’T CREATE ANY PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO THE FAMILIES, AND HAD NO AFFILIATION TO THE SEPHARDIC JEWISH COMMUNITY.
Imagine Academy opened its doors in 2005, in a private rented home. The bedrooms were converted to classrooms, the living room became the lunchroom, and the basement was the gym. With humble roots, big dreams and 12 students, the program was launched. The tremendous outreach to find the best staff, trained in the most current therapy techniques, paid off. Imagine was up and running and their students were flourishing. Their families felt safe and supported and the children made progress all within the close-knit community school.
The program was and still is one of only two schools in the entire nation that offers both ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) and DIR (Developmental Individualized Relationship) therapy. Research has proven repeatedly that these specific therapies are the most effective for improving academic performance and social skills. Additionally, Imagine is known for its superior therapy departments including, occupational, physical, speech/language and creative arts therapies. These services, in addition to the core academic components, make up the foundation that all learning is built upon.
Over time Imagine grew and desperately needed a bigger building in order to keep up with the demand for placement. Our community came together and helped make this a reality. In 2008, they moved to their current location and since then, registration has continued to grow exponentially. Once again, they have found themselves in need of a new building. Their goal is to expand the school program and also hopefully create a post-21 program. The need for a community day hab program (a day program of scheduled activities, formalized training, and staff support to promote skill development) cannot be emphasized enough. Currently, there are no Sephardic day hab programs. When their students graduate, they leave to attend programs that might not reinforce all of the skills they learned during their time at Imagine Academy. More importantly, they leave the nest of our community and the families must rely on their relationships with Imagine’s staff for continued support. When the students are 20, 25, 30 and beyond, the school continues to champion them as they reach new milestones. They coach the families, including siblings and grandparents, providing a fully encompassing program and complete partnership.
Imagine is currently in the process of purchasing a new location that will house a state-of-the-art facility to educate the children. The new building will include larger classrooms, an amazing sensory gym, a formal lunchroom, complete with a teaching kitchen where students can socialize and connect, a rooftop outdoor playground and therapy suites to accommodate both day and after school therapy services. In order to continue their work providing reading, math, science, social skills groups, sensory/motor work and intensive therapy sessions, they must secure and build a new home for Imagine Academy. It is challenging to provide quality services in a hallway, make-shift classrooms or space that is overcrowded. They do their best to continue to renovate and shift rooms around to make the space work, but it is completely inadequate at this time.
The Imagine family caters to each child’s individual needs. Every student and every family is an integral part of the whole. If a student is not well and cannot attend school, they come to your home. Families, both current and past, remain dedicated to the mission of the program. To be an Imagine family means you are cared for, catered to, and supported at every step, all the time. When you become an Imagine family, you enter into a lifelong relationship and partnership with the loving, dedicated community staff that consider Imagine a part of their life, not just a job. These are components that families can only receive in Imagine’s special environment.
The school’s goals are to continue their mission of educating students and supporting families, to be the community gold standard for special education, to continue to work with community partner organizations to help students integrate seamlessly into the community. Their hope is to create a new building that can function to provide the learning their students deserve. With Hashem’s help and the support of our wonderful community, Imagine Academy hopes to achieve this goal. Community students are counting on them to succeed and make the new building a reality.
