Green Chimneys School and Children's Services Celebrates 65 Years

Editor's Note: Thanks to the Patch user who submitted this piece. Click here for detailed instructions on posting announcements on Patch.

BREWSTER – Nov. 5 At just 19 years old, inspired by childhood boarding school experiences and a genuine devotion to animals, Samuel B. “Rollo” Ross, Jr. had a dream to create an environment where children and animals could live together in a farm setting. And Green Chimneys came to be. On Saturday, October 27, Green Chimneys marked its founding in 1947 with a celebratory high tea on the Brewster campus of the 65-years-young organization. Founders Sam and Myra Ross stood with Executive Director Joe Whalen and close friends, staff members and supporters, who came to share the remarkable milestone.

“If you had told me in 1947 what we would be today, I would have never believed it…it brings tears to my eyes,” said Green Chimneys Founder Dr. Samuel B. Ross, Jr.  “We have a lot of people to thank for this, and no one is more grateful than Myra and me to have been a part of it all.”

A LIVING HISTORY
Green Chimneys began with the Ross Family’s purchase of the 75-acre farm on October 27, 1947. The Green Chimneys School for Little Folk opened in 1948 with eleven students aged 3-6 years old, and young Samuel Ross leading a small staff to provide academics, recreation, and a loving environment with the unique experience of interacting with and caring for the animals that also lived there. His father, Dr. Barney Ross, and Adele MacDonald, a nurse working for him, helped to establish a home-like setting and worked tirelessly alongside young Ross at this most unusual boarding school.

Travel the Green Chimneys timeline

Green Chimneys has since become a recognized leader in animal-assisted therapy and education for children with special needs. Farm and wildlife programs have been a core component of the special education and residential treatment services that distinguish Green Chimneys as an innovator in human-animal interaction and nature-based therapies. To this day, Dr. Samuel B. “Rollo” Ross, Jr. and his wife Myra work to support the Green Chimneys mission. Dr. Ross oversees fund development for the organization as Managing Director of The Friends of Green Chimneys. Myra Ross serves as Director of Admissions and Clinical Coordinator overseeing the interview process and treatment services for incoming students. 

Inspired by the remarkable work and lifelong commitment of its founders, Green Chimneys has marked its 65^th year with the launch of The Sam and Myra Ross Institute.

PRESERVING THE LEGACY OF GREEN CHIMNEYS
Dedicated to education and research on the human connection to animals and the natural world, The Sam and Myra Ross Institute serves to deepen the legacy, vision and positive impact of Green Chimneys’ animal- and nature-based programs, and share knowledge with colleagues and experts to ensure the organization’s continued growth and leadership in a global forum.

Led by a committee of the Green Chimneys Board and directed by Green Chimneys Farm & Wildlife Director Michael Kaufmann, The Institute is the knowledge base for the varied facets of human-animal and nature-based interactions, grounded in evidence-based practices for implementing diverse and ethically responsible educational and therapeutic interventions and activities. The intended roles and activities of The Institute:

• Serve as a “living laboratory” through observational and hands-on learning for students and professionals in an active residential treatment, day school, and general human service setting
• Develop research and implement models for effective animal- and nature-based programming and treatment for children with special needs
• Create educational tools and materials to facilitate program replication and advocate for acceptance of animals and nature-based activities and therapy
• Collaborate with academic and scientific institutions, research and advocacy organizations, and government entities that share an interest in the diverse areas of animals and nature-based programming and therapy in a human service setting
• Host regional and national conferences to explore and disseminate scientific and scholarly information, and maintain a speakers bureau with diverse professional backgrounds to share expertise on implementation, replication and evaluation
• Participate in advocacy efforts at the local, state, federal and international level for the positive impact animals, plants and nature can have on human health and well being
• Implement a curriculum for professional coursework and certification programs.

Several exciting Institute projects are already in progress. An advisory council of international experts in the field of animal and nature-based activities has been assembled to keep the Institute on the cutting edge of this ever-expanding field. A generous capacity-building grant from the ASPCA has facilitated infrastructure and staffing. And this past summer, a graduate student from Brazil designed data storage and information archiving systems to preserve existing intellectual property and document for the future. The Institute has also welcomed its first interns for a 4-month immersion experience to learn how to incorporate animals and plants into working with children who have psycho-social issues.

About Green Chimneys
Green Chimneys is a multi-faceted nonprofit organization helping young people to maximize their full potential by providing residential, educational, clinical and recreational services that create and nurture connections to the community and the natural world. Founded in 1947 and headquartered on a farm and wildlife center in Brewster, NY, with a second campus in Carmel, NY, Green Chimneys is recognized as a worldwide leader in animal-assisted therapy and educational activities for children with special needs. Green Chimneys services include an accredited special education school on two campuses, residential treatment center, animal-assisted and nature-based therapeutic programs, and community-based support for youth and families across Putnam County, and homeless and foster care LGBTQ youth in New York City.  www.greenchimneys.org