“Audiology assessments are crucial for children with hearing loss. Poorly functioning hearing aids and cochlear implants severely impact a child’s ability to learn. We are very excited about this CVS Caremark Community Grant. This the second year that CVS Caremark has awarded a Community Grant to The River School. CVS Caremark is the first external organization to support us in this way and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” said Nancy Mellon, Executive Director of The River School.

“CVS Caremark Community Grants are an effective way for us to contribute to the success of communities where we do business,” said Jennifer Veilleux, Director of CVS Caremark Corporation.   “We are proud to support the work that The River School does in the community.”

The CVS Caremark Community Grant to The River School is part of CVS Caremark’s commitment to its communities throughout the country. The River School was selected to receive a grant through the CVS Caremark Community Grants 2008 grant application process.  Grants were awarded to organizations that share a common vision with CVS Caremark’s All Kids Can™ program, which strives to make life easier for children with disabilities. The goal of the program is to create more inclusive environments for children with and without disabilities, to build self-esteem, lasting friendships and social skills, and to help children without disabilities learn diversity and tolerance.

“CVS Caremark is committed to helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life,” said Gordon Howard, Area Vice President–Washington D.C. Market, CVS/pharmacy. “Through this grant, we are proud to be able to help make an impact on the lives of chidlren in the greater Washington, DC, community.”

The River School draws on best practices from a variety of fields, including early childhood education, deaf education, speech-language pathology, audiology, special education, and developmental psychology. This model has created an educational program that is uniquely suited to the special needs of young, deaf children.

The River School aims to integrate deaf and hard-of-hearing students into a hearing world. To that end, classrooms are small and staffed with trans-disciplinary teams of trained and skilled professionals with Master’s degrees. The River School strives to enable its students to achieve age-appropriate language skills so that they can return to their neighborhood schools where they may succeed with no or minimal supports.

About CVS Caremark All Kids Can
All Kids Can, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and CVS Caremark, is a five-year, $25 million commitment to support children with disabilities. The goals of All Kids Can are to support children with disabilities by raising awareness in schools and in local communities about the importance of inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services. CVS Caremark and its more than 190,000 employees plan to help children with disabilities learn, play and succeed through partnerships with leading local and national nonprofit organizations such as Easter Seals and many others across the country. For more information, visit http://www.cvsallkidscan.com.

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