On November 10, 2023, the NECC community celebrated the annual Children of Promise Gala, shining a spotlight on its robust research program and raising more than $1.23 million.
The event, held at Boston’s InterContinental Hotel, provided heartwarming stories of hope and inspiration and a lively auction hosted by NESN’s Jenny Johnson. However, the highlight of the evening was the nod to the incredible impact of NECC’s research.
“Tonight, we are going to shine a light on the fundamental cornerstone of everything we do. It’s what brought me and countless others from academia to a small town 26 miles west of Boston, where the great minds of behavior analysis were putting the science into practice,” shared NECC President and CEO Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA.
NECC started as the Efficacy Research Institute, a research project to help (and learn from) six teenage students with profound autism. Now an internationally recognized and award-winning research powerhouse, NECC staff have published 326 studies and delivered 2,600 presentations in 21 countries, all of which are highly respected and inspire or guide other research studies.
NECC is also committed to training the next generation of researchers and educators, granting more than 1,785 master’s degrees through its university partnerships. Kiah Lyons, an NECC teacher enrolled in the Western New England University graduate program in applied behavior analysis, was on hand to share what NECC means to them.
“I came here specifically for the graduate program and high quality clinical experience, but I had no idea the abundance of opportunity that would be showered upon me while working and studying here,” shared Lyons, who grew up in a small Pennsylvania town and found a new home at NECC. “I have never felt more fulfilled in my career, academia, or life as I do by teaching and caring for the kids that I work with at NECC.”
Funds raised from the Gala are being used to create collaborative workspaces for staff like Lyons to meet, study, and relax during their long workdays.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Insight.