Flutie Foundation Bringing Communication Board to Acushnet Elementary

The Flutie Foundation is helping to bring a new communication tool to Acushnet Elementary School.

The Flutie Foundation is one of my favorite Massachusetts charities – and yes, I’ll admit I’m a little biased. My family held Boston College football season tickets during the legendary 1980s Doug Flutie era, and now my daughter is a student-athlete at BC.

That’s why it was so exciting to see the Flutie Foundation lending a helping hand here on the SouthCoast.

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New Communication Board Coming to Acushnet Elementary

Thanks to a Flutie Foundation grant, Acushnet Elementary School will soon install a playground communication board designed to help and empower non-speaking or minimally verbal children. The board features symbols, pictures and words that children can point to in order to express themselves, connect with others, and feel included during playtime.

Teacher’s Vision for Inclusion

Special education teacher Sierra Canastra applied for the grant last month, and this week, she received the great news that it had been approved.

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“My hope was to help make a difference so that every child may feel seen, heard and included,” Canastra said. “This communication board is more than a tool. It represents connection, friendship and belonging.”

Encouraging Other Schools to Apply

There is exciting news for other schools that might wants something similar on their playgrounds. The Flutie Foundation’s grants are available to schools across Massachusetts through the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. The organization hopes more local districts will apply for similar projects that foster communication and inclusion in schools and playgrounds across the Commonwealth.