Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide high quality enrichment opportunities to the children of Kent so that they can discover their full potential and continue a lifetime of unbridled curiosity.
We are a non-profit organization established to go beyond the mandated school curriculum to provide programs that will ensure that all children, regardless of race, income level or ability, have the opportunity to discover their talents and work with others to explore a world beyond the classroom.
Vision Statement
The Kent Curiosity lab will provide a variety of high quality enrichment programs where students will be actively engaged in real world and personally meaningful activities and projects. We’ll collaborate with the Kent Center School faculty to build in-school enrichment programs that strengthen the curriculum. Our after school programming will invigorate in-school learning and, along with our community events, promote social connections. Through family programs, we will educate parents, caregivers and community members about the importance of enrichment and its correlation to improved academic outcomes. By ensuring the equity of enrichment opportunities for all the children of Kent, we can maintain a robust K through 8 public school that draws interest from current residents and prospective home buyers alike.
The Board of Directors
Joanne Wasti
President
Joanne has been an art educator and gifted education specialist for over twenty years. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and has an MS in Education, certified in both visual arts and gifted education. In New York City she was a museum educator, a teaching artist and public school visual arts teacher for students of all ages. She’s an experienced grant writer and has been on both sides of the grant writing process. She is passionate about promoting access to the arts for adults and children and has designed many community based and violence prevention art programs.
Melissa Braislin
Treasurer
Melissa has lived in the Kent community for over nineteen years. Melissa has a Master’s in Communication Disorders and Sciences and a Master’s in Business Administration. Her background is in nonprofit healthcare and business administration. She has been at Sharon Hospital for the past twenty-one years. She started as a Speech Pathologist and for the past eight years she has managed multi-million dollar budgets and high performing teams. She ensures high quality care that is catered towards the needs of the local community. Her goal is adapting these skills to the Kent Curiosity Lab.
Elizabeth "Buffy" Bonis
Secretary
Buffy and her husband settled on the campus of South Kent School over twenty years ago. They raised their two teenage sons there and watched them flourish at Kent Center School. Buffy is a pediatric nurse and has worked at a private practice in Newtown, Connecticut for over two decades. She has aided in the overall healthcare of children from newborns to young adults. Her supervisory role brings many responsibilities, most importantly aiding new parents as they navigate life with their little ones. Buffy is a former board member of the Kent Community Nursery School and is presently a Dorm Parent at South Kent School.