Chatham Hall has announced Boundless Potential, a record-breaking $35 million campaign designed to bring myriad benefits to the school community including renovated faculty housing and community spaces, a strong financial foundation for all, and its most ambitious initiative: a state-of-the-art athletics, health, and wellness center for which the school will break ground in spring 2023.
“At the outset of this campaign we set a goal of $35 million and, with the help of our donors, we are on track to exceed that goal,” said Nina Botsford, Class of 1972, co-chair of the campaign along with Jane Garnett, Class of 1973. “We are confident that Chatham Hall is worthy of significant philanthropy and our programs are worthy of bold ideas.”
Since its 2016 Strategic Plan, Chatham Hall has designed Living Well, a philosophy and framework that brings together nine dimensions of wellness (intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, social, occupational, environmental, and inclusive) as the foundation for the future of the school.
“With Boundless Potential, we’re taking this commitment another step further,” said Chair of the Board of Trustees Alison Carter Cady ‘91. “This campaign has been working quietly behind the scenes for many years and has already completed initiatives like renovating faculty housing and transforming community spaces to ensure an exceptional experience for our community. Now we will be creating a new building that will be a true destination for exploration. It will allow students to explore not only their own interests, but all facets of Living Well. We know it will become a central part of campus, and that it will become known as a place where, for whatever reason you visit, you will leave feeling even better than you started. What a wonderful gift to this community!”
The Living Well program has been spearheaded by Rector Rachel A. Connell, who noted that this commitment to wellbeing was a main motivation of joining Chatham Hall in 2019.
“The care that our Board of Trustees has shown for our community over the years, and the commitment to ensuring this wellbeing for each and every member of our community, were incredibly motivating factors for me,” noted Connell. “I wanted to be a proud part of an institution that was more than ready and willing, it was ready and wanting to become architects of the ways schools integrate all aspects of holistic health and wellness.”
As part of the kickoff celebrations held Oct. 15, a lunch honoring faculty and special pep rally to announce the new building were held. The entire School community was invited to enjoy Chatham Hall’s traditional fall “barnival” at the school’s barn, including snacks provided by the Global Entrepreneurship class student-run food cart and a horse and hound parade full of beloved animals on campus. In the evening, a program in St. Mary’s Chapel was held for invited guests followed by a gala dinner.