This is where students’ individual NEEDS ARE MET. THIS is Kennedy Krieger.
From our very beginnings, Kennedy Krieger has pioneered specialized education for children with developmental disabilities and conditions affecting the nervous system.
Today, through our network of five schools, we’ve developed and refined approaches that enable students to reach their potential academically, socially, and behaviorally—with the goal of enhancing each child’s learning trajectory and fueling independence.
Bold Plans
In our next chapter, we’re expanding our impact by creating the Center for Specialized Education Innovation—the first of its kind in the nation. This center will transform how one in six children learns and bring personalized education practices to benefit every student, in school and beyond.
This bold initiative will:
- Leverage decades of Kennedy Krieger’s experience and rich data from educating complex, diverse learners to identify best practices and share insights that shape the future of special education.
- Create an education innovation hub powered by technology, uniting educators, researchers, therapists, behavioral scientists, and technologists to transform learning for every child.
- Rapidly design, test, and refine evidence-based learning strategies, driven by our unique role at the intersection of education, clinical care, and research.
- Craft replicable pre-K to 21 educational models that are customizable to meet the unique needs of students across a spectrum of abilities and challenges.
- Share these proven approaches with schools nationwide, setting new standards, scaling excellence in special education, training special educators, and improving lifelong outcomes for every student.
The urgency is clear. Despite decades of progress in special education, a critical gap in evidence-based research for children with learning disabilities remains.
With our specialized schools, clinical expertise, and research capabilities, Kennedy Krieger is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap. Our impact could benefit every student nationwide.
Just as precision medicine is revolutionizing healthcare, precision education, with approaches tailored to each student’s unique needs, is the future of transformative learning.
Within five years, we believe this center will:
- Influence guidelines across the country, reshape teacher preparation programs, and set new standards for special and general education.
- Transform educational policy and practice nationwide.
- Most importantly, ensure that time in school delivers the greatest impact on children’s future independence, work and community participation, and quality of life.