The New England Center for Children (NECC), a global leader in autism education and research, has been named an official charity as part of the 2024 Bank of America Boston Marathon® Charity Program. Through the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) provides invitational entries to the Boston Marathon to select non-profit organizations that focus on building healthy communities.
Over the last 15 years, Team NECC runners have raised nearly $1 million in important funds for NECC students through the B.A.A.’s non-profit charity program. Every dollar raised by NECC’s Boston Marathon runners directly benefits students through the Annual Fund, which funds crucial areas not covered by tuition, such as student activities, individual student needs, off-campus activities, specialized technology, student equipment and materials, and vocational opportunities. It also supports NECC staff development, research and training opportunities, as well as DEI initiatives and employee resource groups.
For the last 48 years, NECC has been providing children with autism with the best services available so they can live full, productive, and rewarding lives in their community. NECC provides comprehensive services for children with autism through day and residential programs based in Southborough, MA; partner classrooms in public school systems throughout Massachusetts and New England; as well as through consulting services and autism curriculum software for teacher across the globe. Since our modest founding in 1975 at the then-Taunton State Hospital, NECC has grown into a leader in the autism field that serves more than 1,300 students each year, and an additional 12,000 individuals across the globe through our ACE® ABA Software System.
NECC is also committed to training the next generation of autism educators and researchers by providing professional development opportunities, specifically with free on-campus graduate degree partnership programs. The result is a growing pool of NECC staff alumni who are now providing state-of-the-art care and services worldwide.
The 128th Boston Marathon, which will take place on Monday, April 15, 2024, will be the first with Bank of America serving as presenting partner. The field size for the 128th Boston Marathon will be 30,000 participants.
If you are interested in applying to run the Boston Marathon as a member of Team NECC, click here for more information or email [email protected].