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AMHERST, N.Y. – ˿����Ƶ College has established an historic new partnership with The Park School of Buffalo designed to develop collaborative initiatives that will enhance academic, athletic, and community outreach programs at both institutions. This is the first agreement of its kind established between ˿����Ƶ and a private school in the Buffalo Niagara region in recent history.

A memorandum of understanding for the collaborative agreement was formally signed Feb. 8 by ˿����Ƶ President Gary A. Olson, Head of School Christopher J. Lauricella of The Park School, and Dr. Michael Brogan, ˿����Ƶ’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college. 

In announcing the new college-private school collaboration, Olson said, “We are excited to partner with the prestigious Park School in this historic agreement, which will draw on our breadth of experience and distinction in higher education as we move forward with the initiatives that will come from this new collaboration. This relationship represents an exceptional opportunity for our institutions to create a range of efforts that will enrich the educational experience for our students and mutually benefit ˿����Ƶ and The Park School.”

Olson added, “Jointly, these partnership activities will maximize our strengths, talents, and resources that will take our institutions to a new level of excellence.” 

Under the agreement, ˿����Ƶ and The Park School will partner on developing collaborative efforts that will advance academic and athletic opportunities, including use of athletics playing fields, community outreach endeavors, and other related areas. Academically, ˿����Ƶ’s education, local and global sustainability, and natural science programs are among those being considered for initiatives.

At the announcement, Lauricella noted that the close proximity of the two campuses makes them uniquely positioned for a successful partnership.

“We are literally next door neighbors in the Amherst-Snyder area, a fact that will allow us to work closely and collaboratively together to explore useful synergies between our academic programs and operations,” said Lauricella.

“For ˿����Ƶ, we bring a century’s worth of expertise regarding the most effective way to teach children and adolescents and an eagerness to share this knowledge,” he added. “As for Park, we now have access to an incredibly innovative and entrepreneurial higher education partner. I am very eager to see where this partnership will take our two schools, and, ultimately, how it will benefit the students we serve.”