The $24.1 million project will house a school for young adults and children with developmental differences and a child development center
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2024 — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington is constructing an education center in northeast Washington to better serve children with developmental differences as it answers the needs of those most vulnerable in the community. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The Conway Education Center on Buchanan Street between 8th and 10th Streets in D.C.’s Ward 5 will replace an existing school that was built in the 1950s. The education center is scheduled to open in fall 2025.
“The Conway Education Center will allow us to expand our capabilities and help young adults and children reach their highest potential,” Catholic Charities President and CEO Jim Malloy said. “This is a milestone in Catholic Charities’ more than 90-year history. We are filled with anticipation about what a new state-of-the-art school will mean for our students.”
The education center is made possible in part by a generous donation from the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF established by Bill Conway. The remainder of the permanent funding comes from other generous donors, the sale of 4.7 acres of school property and the sale of other properties whose uses are no longer consistent with the agency’s mission.
Designed by A Complete Unknown Architects, the two-story, 36,300-square-foot center is being built adjacent to the current school on two acres on the south side of Buchanan Street NE. The facility will be ADA compliant, provide a safe, secure environment, and promote the overall well-being of young people.
The building will house the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Institute School for students, ages six to 22, with autism, intellectual differences, emotional differences, learning differences and traumatic brain injuries, and the Child Development Center for children of all abilities ages six weeks to three years.
The Child Development Center will occupy 12,270 square feet primarily on the ground floor, and the school will occupy 23,400 square feet. The first floor will have a dining hall/multipurpose room, library and administrative offices. The second floor will have classrooms, a science lab and a music/art room.
The building was designed with input from faculty and staff, Unique features include:
- A U-shaped design that surrounds a courtyard, which will provide a safe and shaded space for children to play.
- An outdoor classroom with amphitheater seating, a garden and dining terrace.
- A ramp, rather than an elevator, to move students and children from one floor to another. The ramp will allow students of all abilities to easily circulate through the building.
- A kitchen in the dining space that will allow students to prepare simple meals as they learn life skills.
“I speak for the entire faculty and staff when I say that we are excited for the students to have a new school,” says Matthew Putu, executive director of Developmental Disabilities Services. “Having been with Catholic Charities for 15 years, it is a full-circle moment to able to say goodbye to the old school and welcome a new era at the education center.”
Coakley & Williams Construction is a leading contractor on the project. The existing school and Child Development Center will remain open during construction.
Once the new building is completed, the Kennedy School and Child Development Center will transition into the Conway Education Center. The old school will be demolished, and a townhome community developed by The Concordia Group LLC will be built to the west of the education center.
For additional information, visit the Conway Education Center web page.
Media: To attend the groundbreaking or schedule an interview, contact Catholic Charities DC’s communications department: Alexandra Porben at Alexandra.Porben@cc-dc.org and 202-772-4379, or Kate Kennedy at Kate.Kennedy@cc-dc.org and 202-772-4312.
About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington
Catholic Charities DC is the largest independent social services agency in the Metropolitan D.C. area. As the charitable arm of the Archdiocese of Washington, Catholic Charities DC invests in communities by providing critical services to hundreds of thousands of people in need throughout the District of Columbia and Montgomery, Prince George’s, Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland. The organization works tirelessly to give help that empowers and hope that lasts to those it serves regardless of background, belief, or circumstance. For more information, visit www.catholiccharitiesdc.org and follow us on social media @CCADW.