We’re excited to share a major milestone in the growth of the Ashokan Center: our new office building—with a dedicated health center—is nearly complete! Thanks to the support of our donors, board members, and the leadership of Jay and Molly, this long-awaited project is becoming a reality.

🛠️ Who’s Behind the Build?

This transformative project is the result of the collaborative efforts of:

  • Collier Construction – bringing the vision to life with precision and care

  • Bensonwood – providing sustainable building systems and materials

  • Alfandre Architecture – designing a space that reflects the heart of Ashokan’s mission

📍 What & Where?

The new building is located in the heart of campus, designed to serve as a centralized hub for Ashokan’s administrative team and a much-needed health center for visiting school groups.

For the first time in Ashokan’s history, school nurses will have a dedicated, permanent station to care for sick or injured students—a crucial addition given the increasing number of residential field trips we host throughout the academic year.

📅 When?

  • Site work was completed in late May

  • Deadline for roofing and siding is June 20th

  • We’ll begin moving in furniture shortly after that

By early summer, we’ll be welcoming students and staff into a space designed with comfort, safety, and functionality in mind.

💡 Why Now?

This new building has been talked about for years. With the growth of our team and the increasing volume of school groups we serve, our original office space could no longer meet our needs. And without an health center, nurses had been working out of makeshift spaces.

Now, thanks to the vision of our leadership, this new building ensures:

  • A safe, private, and professional space for student care

  • A modern, collaborative workspace for Ashokan’s growing team

  • A long-term investment in the future of outdoor education

🙏 How It Happened

This project was made possible by the generosity of donors, the guidance of our board, and the unwavering support of Jay & Molly, who have championed Ashokan’s growth from the beginning.

As project manager Joe Martignetti put it:

“Thank you for the opportunity to do this job. The things I am learning are unbelievable. The amount of growth I’ve experienced due to managing this project has been life changing. Thank you Jay and Peter.”

We look forward to sharing photos of the completed building in the coming weeks. Until then, we’re filled with gratitude and anticipation—this is a big step forward for the Ashokan Center and the thousands of students we serve each year.

Stay tuned and thank you for helping us grow.