Press Releases

ACES Receives $7,500 Grant from The Petit Family Foundation to Fund Inclusive Playground for Students with Disabilities

October 25th, 2021

(North Haven, CT – October 25, 2021): Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) was recently awarded a $7,500 general project support grant from The Petit Family Foundation. The funding will support the purchase of a new inclusive playground for the students at ACES Village School.

ACES Village School serves 152 students who have a range of cognitive, physical, behavioral, language, and medical challenges. This inclusive playground equipment will teach students how to play with others and help them gain gross motor skill activity through exercise. The playscape will provide a space for occupational therapists and physical therapists to engage students in activities to ensure meaningful progress toward their Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) goals and objectives. Additionally, classroom teachers and speech pathologists will be able to use the inclusive space to address communication and social skills.

“We are thrilled and so grateful for this grant, which will help us rebuild our playscape to make it inclusive for all the children who attend our school,” said Virginia Tagliatela, Principal at ACES Village School. “It will provide an environment for our students to work on their socio-emotional and physical skills, as well as improve their play interaction.”

The Petit Family Foundation funds are awarded to organizations that foster the education of young people, especially women in the sciences; improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses; and support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence. The ACES Village School playscape project aligns with The Petit Family Foundation mission to support childhood education and assist those with ongoing health issues. The inclusive playground equipment will support the academic, emotional, mental, physical, and social needs of all students at ACES Village School.

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About ACES:  Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) is the regional educational service center for New Haven and parts of Middlesex Counties. Established in 1969, ACES strives each day to fulfill its vision of creating an equitable and socially just world, one life at a time. ACES serves its members districts and others through an ever-growing array of programs, services and schools that meet the needs of a changing educational landscape. As a school district, ACES operates three magnet and eight special education schools. ACES services range from transportation, professional development and school improvement services, technology, translation, international, security, and occupational and physical therapy. ACES operates the Open and Magnet School Parent Choice programs for New Haven County. Its programs include a federally funded Early Head Start Program and ACES ACCESS, a vocational and life skills program for developmentally and physically disabled adults ages 21 and older. For more information, go to www.aces.org.

About The Petit Family Foundation: The PETIT FAMILY FOUNDATION came into existence following the tragic and senseless murders of a mother and her two daughters. The mother, Jennifer Lynn Hawk-Petit, had multiple sclerosis; her two daughters were Hayley Elizabeth Petit, 17, a graduate of Miss Porter’s School who was preparing for her freshman year at Dartmouth College, and Michaela Rose Petit, 11, a sixth grader at Chase Collegiate School. William A. Petit, Jr., Jennifer’s husband and the girls’ father, escaped into the basement to try to seek help while his feet were still bound after having been beaten with a baseball bat. At the public memorial service, which was graciously hosted by Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT, Dr. Petit asked those gathered to “help a neighbor, fight for a cause, and love your family” as a way to honor the memories of his family and make the world a better place to live.