Aspire Living & Learning Purchases 47-Acre Former University Campus in Orange

Former University of New Haven campus will give Aspire room to innovate, expand and strengthen special education and adult services in Connecticut

ORANGE, CT, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Aspire Living & Learning, a nonprofit serving neurodivergent children and adults, today announced it has purchased the former University of New Haven satellite campus at 584 Derby Milford Road in Orange.

The campus will become the new home of the Trumbull location of Aspire Living & Learning Academy (ALL Academy), Aspire’s private special education school, as well as its adult community-based day program and Connecticut administrative offices currently based in Hamden. ALL Academy’s Naugatuck and Stamford locations will remain where they are.

Aspire closed on the 47-acre property September 28th. The campus includes a 70,680-square-foot building, which Aspire will renovate over the coming year to create dedicated environments for each program. Programming is expected to begin in summer 2027.

“We’ve been looking for an opportunity like this in Connecticut,” said Erica Hare, Aspire CEO. “Orange gives us room to strengthen what we offer today while also thinking about where we want to go next. We can create spaces that better support the work happening now while giving Aspire room to grow and respond to what the people we support and communities around us need in the years ahead.”

For ALL Academy, the move is an opportunity to raise the bar for what a special education school can offer. Aspire’s plans for Orange will prioritize accessibility and innovation while creating an environment where students have access to the learning, technology, experiences and opportunities they deserve, without having to choose between individualized support and a rich school experience.

“Special education shouldn’t be about fitting a student into a program. It should be about building the right environment around that student,” said Dr. Elizabeth Sellinger, chief of clinical and children’s services. “Orange gives us an opportunity to push that thinking further, to be innovative in how students learn and build skills, and to create more pathways for each student to work toward the future they want.”

That same focus on access and independence will extend beyond the school. Aspire’s adult community-based day program will have dedicated space at Orange while continuing to use the surrounding community as an important part of the program. For students and adults alike, the campus will be a starting point for learning, work, skill-building and experiences that extend well beyond it.

Aspire plans to build relationships with employers, businesses and community organizations throughout the area to expand opportunities for employment, internships, volunteering and community-based learning. Volunteers and donors will also have opportunities to contribute, with philanthropic support helping fund technology, equipment, additional environments and experiences beyond the core renovation.

“There are so many ways to be part of what we’re creating in Orange,” said John Whittemore, associate vice president of growth and advancement at Aspire. “For some, that might mean becoming an employment partner or volunteering their time and expertise. For others, it might mean making a gift that helps bring an idea for the campus to life. Each can open up new opportunities for the people we support.”

Aspire will share renovation updates, additional plans for the campus and opportunities to visit, partner and get involved throughout the coming year. For more information, visit www.allinc.org.

Brittany Ruggiero
Aspire Living & Learning
+1 203-673-6659
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