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BSAC Partners with Livingstone Academy
BSAC and Livingstone Academy have long been leaders for special needs education in Hillsborough County. Now, they join forces in a new partnership, filling a gap in much-needed services for special needs students and adults.
Chuck Burgess (CEO of BSAC) and Chris Pello (CEO Livingstone Schools) met in Leadership Brandon through the Chamber of Commerce in 2014. They quickly built a professional relationship after discovering their common interest in serving the special needs community. As Livingstone Schools continued to grow, so did their need for more space. Livingstone Schools opened its fourth location, Livingstone Academy Exceptional Center on the BSAC campus, and their program feeds directly into the TRIDENT program offered at BSAC
Livingstone Academy Exceptional Center offers programming for students with intellectual disabilities, down syndrome and autism in grades 9-12. This high-school program will focus on academic, social, life and job skills. They will also offer a transition program for students post high school for ages 18-22.
Once students age out of the traditional school-aged system, however, there are very few resources available for them to continue educational programming. After identifying this gap in services, BSAC created the TRIDENT program for special needs adults in 2011. In TRIDENT, students over the age of 22 are able to come together for socialization, recreation, education, field trips, and sports programming. It allows students to further their personal development while caretakers can continue working.
The new partnership between BSAC and Livingstone ensures that no student or family in need will fall between the cracks. Students can seamlessly transition from Livingstone into TRIDENT with no lapse in programming. These organizations are also deepening the sense of community in our area by connecting families and offering support.
Open enrollment for the 2020/2021 school year is available at Livingstone Academy beginning in February. For more information, contact Chris Pello at cpello@livingstoneschools.org and visit their website at Livingstoneschools.org.
Written By: Carli Walko – Marketing Director