SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Charlton School of Burnt Hills has announced a record $200,000 grant received from the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund. It is the largest cash gift a charity has made to the school’s long-term fundraising plan called the “Next Chapter.” The donation will help fund renovations to a historic chapel that has served as a therapeutic arts space since 2014. The renovation project, the first step in a 20-year plan to reshape the school’s campus, began in June 2020, and will be completed this year by Schrader & Company Construction Services. The updated arts center will include a new kiln room and handicap accessible bathroom, new energy efficient windows and doors, new lighting, electrical, heating, and cooling systems, and new flooring and cabinetry.
Alex Capo, Executive Director of The Charlton School, said, “We are extremely grateful to the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund for their tremendous generosity. In return for this significant gift, we are proud to name our new therapeutic arts space The Sarah B. Foulke Arts Center. We will also establish an annual Sarah B. Foulke Art Award; it will be given to an outstanding art student at graduation and will encourage future generations of Charlton School students.”
Anthony J. Izzo, speaking on behalf of Suzan Nolan and Lyn Murphy, two other advisors to the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund, which is administered through The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, explained the impetus for the gift. “Sarah Blackwell Foulke, a long-time Saratoga Springs resident and an attorney who practiced in Saratoga County, was a kind, giving, compassionate, and courageous woman who loved the arts and her community. She felt women deserved better opportunities in this world than they have. After touring the school and reviewing its mission, we decided that The Charlton School would be a good fit with Sarah’s interests in supporting the arts and opportunities that empower women and girls. We knew that naming the Arts Center in Sarah’s honor would create a long-lasting legacy to her spirit and passion for helping girls achieve great things and become their best selves. In this way, through The Charlton School, Sarah’s name will always be associated with enriching young students’ lives.”
Executive Director Capo added, “Our goal has been to transform the chapel into a space conducive to the intense emotional work necessary for a quality therapeutic arts program. This 50-year-old chapel building has been in dire need of updating. With the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund donation and the fine craftsmanship that the team at Schrader & Company has brought to this project, we can redesign the space to fit those needs.”
About The Charlton School
The Charlton School, located at 322 Lake Hill Road in Burnt Hills, was founded in 1895 by John S. Hawley, a successful NYC business owner. He donated the land and $25,000 to open the Charlton Industrial Farm School for Boys destined for a criminal life due to neglect and poverty. In 1938, the Farm School building burnt to the ground overnight. The farmland was maintained for the next 17 years. In 1955, a new building was erected, and the doors opened to young women. The Charlton School began their mission of providing education and a home for young women within the Social Service System.
From those early beginnings, The Charlton School has emerged as a therapeutic learning community offering the right treatment in the right environment for students who struggle with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or complex traumas. The Charlton School also sees students who exhibit school refusal, fragility, or withdrawal; students lacking in self-esteem, motivation, or social skills; or students who are struggling with relationship or identity issues.
The Charlton School strives to create a safe and nurturing environment that fosters growth in their students and empowers them to succeed educationally and emotionally throughout their lives.
For more information on The Charlton School or questions on how you can contribute to their “Next Chapter” of growth, visit TheCharltonSchool.org.
