COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) is celebrating their 150th year, that's right 150 years!
The school is dedicated to its students who may be deaf, blind, or deaf and blind, has a mission in which they want to help "in collaboration with families, school districts and community partners, educates and inspires learners throughout the state, birth through age 21, to achieve their full potential through comprehensive, individualized academic, transition, residential and outreach programs and resources."
The rich history of this school dates back to 1874, before Colorado was even a state when Jonathan R. Kennedy founded the school known as, "The Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes."
The school was opened in downtown Colorado Springs after being awarded $5,000 from the territorial legislature.
The initial student population consisted of seven students, three of whom were the children of Kennedy.
The school operated under that name until 1895 when the school was renamed the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind.
Nowadays, still operating under that same staple name, the school serves more than 700 students both on campus and statewide.
The location the school is using currently was granted to them by the founder of Colorado Springs himself, William Jackson Palmer.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, CSDB held a ceremony in the gymnasium of the school Monday. They welcomed representatives from the State of Colorado and El Paso County.
The event was followed by a Q&A session with alumni of CSDB, a time capsule activity, and the reveal of a brand new mural.
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