Community members, educators, and staff gathered on Valentine’s Day to show their love for students at HAVEN Academy. The Hearts for Haven event gave the guests an opportunity to learn about the school’s dream of building a mobility track for HAVEN’s outstanding students who are working exponentially hard to realize their future success.
As the 75 HAVEN employees and guests listened to plans on how to turn the dream into a reality, they enjoyed lunch provided by 1885 Grill of Acworth and took part in a sensory experience at the school. 
HAVEN Academy works similar to a magnet school, serving students from Cobb County School District, Douglas County School District, and Marietta City Schools. All students exhibit eligibilities in the areas of autism, intellectual disabilities, and severe emotional behavior disorder. Self-regulation is a primary objective for reaching students and returning them to their home schools.
During the North Cobb Rotary Club’s visit to the HAVEN Academy campus, the guests saw the empty lot that Principal Dr. Isaac Kelly said he hopes to be able to fill with a mobility track for their students.
“Our campus is filled with sensory spaces that allow a specialized approach to giving students options for self-regulation, which is key for HAVEN students. A health and wellness mobility track will provide our older students outdoor space to move and develop healthier ways to temper their responses to things they cannot control,” Dr. Isaac Kelly said.
Following the Valentine’s Day lunch, members of the North Cobb Rotary Club shared their thoughts on the plans at HAVEN.
“HAVEN students deserve as many opportunities as our community can provide towards them having successful and healthy lives. Too many of the students have come from challenging pasts, and they need a fresh start with strong support that allows them to re-learn ways to respond to the world around them,” said Shelley Elder of the North Cobb Rotary Club.
The Cobb Schools Foundation is seeking community support to build the mobility track behind the school, which is estimated to cost about $60,000. A mobility track will give students a structured outdoor space that encourages movement, running, and soaking in the sunshine.
“Each HAVEN student that I meet is incredible, and behind their eyes, they carry a different story about what brought them to this special school. Two student ambassadors who assisted us with our Hearts for HAVEN event today were charged with engaging our guests and leadership. They were very eager to help and be heard. Their voices carry the passion behind the Cobb Schools Foundation’s focus on Learning Interventions. I heard very considerately and passionately the desire for an outdoor space, and we are working to make that happen,” shared Felicia Wagner, Cobb Schools Foundation Executive Director.
To learn more about how to help the Cobb Schools Foundation take student success to new heights, visit
www.cobbschoolsfoundation.org or send an email.
