Greenhouse Opens at Local School

For Immediate Release:

LIVINGSTON (January 9, 2015) – On Monday, December 8, The Children’s Institute (TCI) held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the commercial greenhouse at the Livingston campus. The greenhouse will be utilized by the high school and young adult students as well as by the adults at The Center for Independence.

TCI has partnered with GreEn’ergy to develop a curriculum and train staff, adults and students in horticulture skills. Having a commercial greenhouse on-site will allow students and adults to build vocational, life, and social skills as well as personal development. The greenhouse will provide students and adults on the autism spectrum with important readiness skills to be employable and enable them to pursue viable employment options. Employment opportunities are crucial for individuals on the autism spectrum to feel worthwhile and, based on their potential, be integrated into the community.

Beyond employment opportunities, the development of horticulture skills will increase confidence, creativity, sensory stimulation, and awareness of the environment. Students and adults will learn to make better food choices and eat healthier through the experience of growing fruit, vegetables and herbs for their own consumption; they will increase physical health and stamina through landscaping, and reap mental health benefits, including creativity and self-esteem.

In attendance for the ceremony on December 8th were Marsha Atkind, Executive Director, and Beth Levithan, Board Member, of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, Maria Spina of the PSEG Foundation, and Board Member Jonah Zimiles and his wife Ellen. In addition we thank The Edward W. & Stella C Van Houten Memorial Fund; Summit Area Foundation; The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust; The Hyde and Watson Foundation; E.J. Grassmann Trust; Union Foundation; George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust; Ronald McDonald House Charities; and Joe Bartonek of Barton Nurseries for their generous gifts. The greenhouse and horticulture program are a great success because of their generous support. On behalf of all of the staff and students at TCI, we extend our sincerest gratitude to all of our supporters.

Also in attendance were Deputy Mayor Michael Silverman and Livingston Town Council Member, Rudy Fernandez as well as other TCI supporters.

For more information, please contact Diane Berry, Director of Development at TCI at 973.509.3050 ext.237 or dberry@tcischool.org.

About The Children’s Institute & The Center for Independence

The Children’s Institute, NJ State Board of Education approved private 501 (c)3 non-profit schools, offers preschool, elementary and middle school programs in Verona as well as a high school and adult program, The Center for Independence, in Livingston. The Center for Independence is a Department of Developmental Disabilities and a Division of Vocation Rehabilitation approved program for adults over the age of 21. TCI provides comprehensive educational, vocational, and therapeutic programs for students and adults on the autistic spectrum and with related disabilities.

To learn more about the programs and services offered at The Children’s Institute, please visit www.tcischool.org

Bruce Ettinger, Ed.D.

Executive Director/Superintendent

One Sunset Avenue

Verona, NJ 07044

Telephone: 973.509.3050 x230

Fax: 973.509.3060

Website: www.tcischool.org