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Client Success: How Joey Navigated the Biggest Transition of His Life

For individuals with autism, even minor changes to routine can cause significant stress. Now imagine having autism and being forced to change both your home and daily support system at once. That’s exactly what happened to Joey, one of our adult clients in the Connections Adult Program (CAP). The road has been challenging, but through patience, persistence and the right support, Joey has made incredible progress.

Thank You for a Record-Breaking Gala!

Thank you for making the 2025 Hearts & Hands Gala our most successful event yet, raising a record-breaking $645,000 as we celebrated 10 Years of Transformation! Proceeds will fund high-quality academics, essential therapies and life-skills training for our students as well as community-based instruction, vocational training and independent-living skills for our students and adult clients.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported this gala by attending, sponsoring, donating or volunteering. Special thanks to our dedicated event co-chairs Laura Pope and Carol Kaufman whose hard work and passion made this celebration truly unforgettable.

Event photos are now live on our Facebook page. Feel free to download and share with friends and family.

Thank you again for helping us continue our mission to empower students and adult with autism to reach their full potential. Together, we’re transforming lives and building brighter futures!

Strengthening the School-to-Home Connection at Literacy Night

In February, we welcomed parents and family members to our 2025 Literacy Night, a special evening dedicated to strengthening the school-to-home connection. Teachers and staff shared literacy strategies, offering families practical ways to reinforce classroom literacy lessons at home.

Parental involvement plays a crucial role in student success, and we're blessed with highly engaged families who work with us to help students succeed!

New Grant Expands Science-Based Learning for Our Students

We are thrilled to announce that Connections has been awarded a Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back grant to launch Full STEAM Ahead, a marine-based STEAM program designed for our students!

Thanks to this generous support, our students will have the opportunity to explore marine science and ecology through hands-on classroom learning and community-based field trips. This program is designed to enable students with autism to gain a deeper understanding of environmental science with a focus on marine science and ecology.

Thank you, Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back, for investing in our students’ future and helping them dive into the wonders of marine science!

Students Kick Off our Full STEAM Ahead Program at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium

Connections students enjoyed a field trip to the Cox Science Center and Aquarium kicking off our new Full STEAM Ahead program! This program gives our students hands-on learning opportunities through which to learn more about environmental and marine science.

Thank you to the Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back program for funding this engaging program!

Riding for a Cause: Connections Wins $24,000 at the Great Charity Challenge

We're so grateful to have been selected as one of the participating charities for this year's Great Charity Challenge! This annual event brings together local charities and equestrian teams to compete for a portion of prize monies being donated to charity. Our Dolly Parton-themed riding team made us proud, finishing 21st and earning $23,000 for Connections High School & Vocational Center! Plus, we were awarded an extra $1,000 for the best horse presentation!

Huge thank you to our incredible riding team, our generous sponsors and the Great Charity Challenge organizers for making this event such a memorable success. Your meaningful gifts make a tangible difference for our students and adult clients with autism.

CAP Clients Thrive at Vinceremos

Each week, our CAP clients visit Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, where the peaceful environment and structured activities help them build self-regulation and confidence. The rhythmic nature of working with horses often has a calming effect, allowing our clients to focus, build new skills and gain a sense of accomplishment.

Beyond the therapeutic benefits, these sessions introduce clients to vocational skills in equine care, which may pave the way for future employment.

This life-changing program is made possible by BallenIsle Charities Foundation, the Great Charity Challenge, and generous individual donors. Thank you for investing in opportunities that empower our adult clients to discover their potential!

Spreading Compassion Through the Great Kindness Challenge

We proudly took part in the Great Kindness Challenge, a global movement inspiring over 20 million students in 41,000 schools across 115 countries to make the world a kinder place.

Our high schoolers embraced the challenge by creating kindness trees, adding notes about the thoughtful ways they plan to show compassion. Meanwhile, the entire Connections community came together to donate over 400 pairs socks and write messages of love and support for five California charter schools devastated by recent wildfires.

A heartfelt thank you to all who took part in the Great Kindness Challenge this month. Every act of kindness matters — let's keep the momentum going!

Skills and Confidence Grow at Recipes for Success

A group of our students continues to thrive in Recipes for Success by Extraordinary Charities, an adaptive culinary program that fosters independence and prepares students to earn their ServSafe Certification, a key credential for culinary jobs. Now halfway through the eight-week program, they build skills each week in kitchen safety, food preparation and meal service.

We’re so proud of their progress and are delighted by the confidence they’re gaining in the kitchen.

A heartfelt thank you to BallenIsles Charities Foundation and the Great Charity Challenge for making this life-changing opportunity possible!

Growing and Learning in the Garden

Gardening Day at Connections brought students, staff and volunteers together to refresh our campus garden with new plants. With guidance from Ms. Adriana, Dr. Sherwood Lee and his wife, Barbara, and board member Anthony Greene, students had the opportunity to learn how food grows — often sparking curiosity and a willingness to try new vegetables.

Thank you to our dedicated team members and volunteers for making this hands-on learning experience possible. Stay tuned as our garden grows! 

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