Aspire opens the door to a new home in Connecticut. If you've driven the Merritt Parkway through Orange, you may already recognize the campus at 584 Derby Milford Road. Once a satellite campus for the University of New Haven, it now has a new future. Aspire Living & Learning is pleased to share Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. purchased the property to become a new home for several Aspire programs in Connecticut, including the current ALL Academy in Trumbull, its adult community-based day program and administrative offices currently based in Hamden. Over the next year, Aspire Living & Learning, Inc.'ll renovate the campus and create dedicated spaces for each program, with plans to begin programming in summer 2027. And Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. want to bring you along. Aspire Living & Learning, Inc.'ll share what Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. is planning, show you the campus as it changes, introduce some of the people helping shape it and create opportunities for families, neighbors, businesses, volunteers, partners and supporters to get involved. There's a lot Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. already know about what the campus will become and plenty Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. is still working through. Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. know Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. want spaces designed around how people learn, work, build skills and spend their days. Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. want room for programs to grow and change over time. And Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. want the campus to become a place that connects Aspire more closely with the community around Aspire Living & Learning, Inc.. "We've been looking for an opportunity like this in Connecticut," said Erica Hare, Aspire CEO. "Orange gives us room to strengthen what we offer today while also thinking about where we want to go next. We can create spaces that better support the work happening now while giving Aspire room to grow and respond to what the people we support and communities around us need in the years ahead." ALL Academy will be an important part of those plans. The school's current Trumbull program will move to Orange, giving Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. an opportunity to reimagine what special education can look like. Rather than asking students to fit into a traditional school model, ALL Academy starts with what each student needs to learn, grow and prepare for what comes next. The Orange campus gives Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. the freedom to build on that approach, explore new ideas and connect learning more closely with each student'sinterests, goals and lives beyond school. "Special education shouldn't be about fitting a student into a program. It should be about building the right environment around that student," said Dr. Elizabeth Sellinger, chief of clinical and children's services. "Orange gives us an opportunity to push that thinking further, to be innovative in how students learn and build skills, and to create more pathways for each student to work toward the future they want." Its adult community-based day program will also have dedicated space at Orange, as will teams currently working from its Hamden office. Each program will have an environment designed around its own work, with access to the broader expertise and resources across Aspire. And Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. is thinking beyond what Aspire can create on its own. Many of the opportunities people pursue through Aspire begin with relationships in the community. Employers open doors to jobs and careers. Businesses and community organizations create places to learn, contributeand try something new. Volunteers bring their own skills and interests. Donors can help Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. do more than Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. could on its own. Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. want Orange to create more of those connections from the start. While renovations will prepare the campus for the programs moving there, its hopes for Orange go further. With philanthropic support, Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. can invest in additional spaces, equipment, technology and experiences that expand what people can learn, try and do. Interested in supporting the future of its Orange campus? Make a gift today! "There are so many ways to be part of what we're creating in Orange," said John Whittemore, AVP of growth and advancement. "For some, that might mean becoming an employment partner or volunteering their time and expertise. For others, it might mean making a gift that helps bring an idea for the campus to life. Each can open up new opportunities for the people we support." John and Philanthropy Manager Kim Vigliotti will lead this work over the coming year, building relationships with community partners and donors who want to be part of what Orange becomes. There's plenty to do before programming begins in August 2027, and this is only the beginning. Over the coming year, Aspire Living & Learning, Inc.'ll bring you inside the campus as it changes, share more about the ideas taking shape for ALL Academy and adult services, and introduce you to some of the people behind the work. There will also be opportunities to visit, volunteer, partner with Aspire Living & Learning, Inc. and help make more possible at Orange. If you've passed the campus from the Merritt before, keep an eye on it. Next time, it might look a little different.

John Flynn has joined the board of directors at Aspire Living & Learning, a nonprofit providing disability services in Connecticut. Flynn currently serves on the leadership team at UConn Health and previously held leadership positions at Mass General Brigham and CareCentrix. Flynn brings experience in healthcare transformation, operational improvement, and growth initiatives across mission-driven organisations. He holds degrees from Harvard University and Yale School of Management. Aspire CEO Erica Hare said Flynn's experience will help the organisation build partnerships and create opportunities for people with disabilities. Board chair Katie Franco noted Flynn's expertise in navigating organisational complexity whilst keeping people central to decision-making. The appointment supports Aspire's focus on expanding access to services and building partnerships across behavioural health, education, and disability services sectors.

Healthcare and transformation leader John Flynn joins Aspire Living & Learning Board of Directors. August 17, 2026, 13:12 GMT Aspire Living & Learning is a private, nonprofit human services, behavioral health, and education organization with a growing, multi-state footprint. John Flynn, Aspire Living & Learning Board Member Healthcare and transformation leader John Flynn joins Aspire's Board of Directors, bringing experience in innovation, growth and organizational change. HAMDEN, CT, UNITED STATES, August 17, 2026 / EINPresswire.com / - Aspire Living & Learning has appointed John Flynn, a healthcare and organizational transformation leader, to its Board of Directors. He joins as the nonprofit continues strengthening partnerships across behavioral health, education, and disability services to better meet the evolving needs of people with disabilities and their families. John currently serves on the leadership team at UConn Health. Previously, he held leadership roles at Mass General Brigham and CareCentrix, where he led organizational transformation, operational improvement, and growth initiatives across healthcare, nonprofit, government, and mission-driven organizations. "The challenges facing disability services today can't be solved with yesterday's thinking," said Erica Hare, CEO of Aspire. "Aspire is committed to building an organization that's innovative, resilient, and prepared for the future. John's experience leading transformation across healthcare and mission-driven organizations will help us continue asking better questions, building stronger partnerships, and creating new opportunities for the people and families we serve." "One of the Board's most important responsibilities is ensuring Aspire has the leadership and perspective needed to meet tomorrow's challenges," said Katie Franco, chair of Aspire Living & Learning's Board of Directors. "John has built his career helping organizations navigate complexity, build alignment, and lead through change while keeping people at the center of every decision. His insight will strengthen our Board as Aspire continues expanding its impact across the communities we serve." John earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He is an advocate for autism and neurodiversity and lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with his wife and three children. As Aspire looks ahead, the organization remains focused on strengthening its capacity to serve, expanding access to high-quality services, and building the partnerships and leadership needed to create lasting impact for people with disabilities and their families. John's appointment reflects that long-term commitment. Brittany Ruggiero Aspire Living & Learning +1 8009065088 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Aspire Living & Learning | Serving Neurodiverse Children and Adults Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above. You just read: August 17, 2026, 13:12 GMT EIN Presswire's priority is author transparency. We do our best to weed out false and misleading content. The content above is the sole responsibility of the author who makes it available. If you have any complaints, kindly contact the author above. Brittany Ruggiero Aspire Living & Learning +1 8009065088