History
Horizons was founded in 1964 at New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, CT to serve children from low income families of lower Fairfield County. Years of successful growth prompted the need to measure the program’s effectiveness, and in 1981 Dr. Edward Zigler from Yale University’s Center for Child Development and Social Policy conducted a formal evaluation of Horizons at NCCS.
The resulting report substantiated that Horizons made a significant and unique contribution to the lives of the children it served. The highlights of the report included:
- Horizons positively affects children’s attitudes about learning
- Horizons positively affects attendance rates during the regular school year
- Horizons prevents a summer decline in math, and that this advantage is maintained during the following school year
- Students use special school services less after attending Horizons
Based on the results of the evaluation, Dr. Zigler urged the expansion of Horizons to additional independent day schools.
In 1993, spearheaded by the efforts of the Executive Director, Lyn McNaught, Horizons at New Canaan Country School received a grant to replicate the program. The Headmaster of NCCS, Nick Thacher, then sent a letter to NAIS member schools and Horizons board members Sally and Tony Grassi volunteered to visit the schools that expressed interest in the program. By 1997, Horizons National Student Enrichment Program, Inc. was formed with its own 501(c)3. Since 1995, 12 new Horizons Affiliates have been opened in:
| Rochester, NY |
Chestertown, MD |
Indianapolis, IN |
Rumson, NJ |
| Denver, CO |
Atlanta, GA |
Virginia Beach, VA |
Norfolk, VA |
| Greens Farms, CT |
Washington, DC |
Salisbury, MD |
Savannah, GA |
While required to adhere to a common set of principles, each Horizons Affiliate program is reflective of its local community and encouraged to identify its own objectives.
|
