At Zack’s Place, each day is a vibrant chance to learn, create, and connect! Our programs enrich the lives of adults with special needs by nurturing friendships, boosting confidence, and promoting independence in a warm and inviting atmosphere. From community explorations and artistic endeavors to music sessions and active fun, there’s truly something for everyone at Zack’s Place! Join us in crafting meaningful experiences together—let’s celebrate every moment!
Participants have the exciting opportunity to embark on regular field trips to museums, art exhibits, historic sites, and local events. These adventures not only spark curiosity and enrich learning but also help us connect meaningfully with our vibrant community.
Community Partners
Join our vibrant adaptive sports and recreation programs, where you can stay active and enjoy delightful moments with friends! Dive into exciting activities like skiing, paddling, biking, swimming, snowshoeing, hiking, pickleball, cornhole, mini golf, and croquet!
Creativity thrives in painting, pottery, crafts, and collaborative projects! We wholeheartedly encourage everyone to share their unique self, explore new ideas, and celebrate every achievement along the way. Let’s create together!
Artist Guild
Music truly enriches our participants’ lives, fostering joy, confidence, and meaningful connections. Our diverse programs feature sing-alongs, karaoke, music appreciation, and engaging performances by talented musicians from across the country. Music remains a cherished part of our most treasured memories. Let’s celebrate together!
Performing Arts
Fitness and wellness activities empower participants to be healthy, active, and engaged. Our adaptable programs cater to various abilities, promoting movement, social connection, and enhanced overall well-being. Join us on this exciting journey!
At Zack’s Place, friendships bloom, laughter fills the air, and everyone finds a sense of belonging. Our engaging programs and activities inspire participants to explore new interests, build valuable skills, and positively impact their community, all while sharing the joy of being part of something truly special.
At Zack’s Place, we celebrate abilities, embrace inclusion, and create opportunities for every participant to learn, grow, and thrive.
Science at Zack’s Place is an incredible adventure! We unleash our inner scientists by diving into curiosity, asking questions, and conducting exciting research. This reminds us adults of the joy of experimenting, observing, and playful exploration.
Our sessions include experiments, captivating videos, and even giant slingshots for launching marshmallows at friends like Holly and Kitty. We’ve extracted iron from Cheerios by smashing them and using magnets, created beautiful crystals with Borax, and planted spider plants and paperwhites. We’ve also reconstructed bird skeletons and explored chicken hearts to understand the one-way valves in our own hearts, while learning about local wildlife.
One Halloween, we made a jack-o-lantern erupt using baking soda and vinegar, which was a hit! We’ve also crafted nature-inspired oil lamps and even grown our own oyster mushrooms.
We encourage anyone curious about science to join us on Monday afternoons for new and exciting discoveries!
Swimming is a year-round favorite! Every week, we head to the indoor pools at Upper Valley Aquatic Center. Through Zack’s Place, day passes are available for our participants and their caregivers, making it easy for everyone to join in and enjoy the water together.
UVAC offers a wonderful warm-water splash park with accessible features, including a lift for those who need assistance getting into the water. Our swimmers can enjoy the lazy river, waterfalls and playful water features, while those looking for a little more excitement can take on the 110-foot corkscrew water slide!
There is also a spacious open pool area with basketball hoops and swim lanes, along with a shallow area with comfortable benches for relaxing and taking a break. Whether participants are swimming, playing, exploring or simply enjoying time in the water with friends, our weekly trips are filled with laughter, movement and plenty of splashing fun!
Bowling is always a favorite at Zack’s Place! Once or twice a month, our crew heads to Maple Lanes in Claremont, where Sean, the friendly manager, welcomes us and makes sure everyone has what they need to enjoy a great day of bowling.
With bumpers, ball ramps and wheelchair-accessible lanes, everyone can participate and bowl in a way that works best for them. There may be a little friendly competition, but the real excitement comes from cheering each other on. Every strike, spare, split and even that one stubborn pin is met with plenty of encouragement and applause!
After bowling, we enjoy lunch together before heading back to Zack’s Place. These outings are about much more than knocking down pins—they’re about friendship, laughter, teamwork and celebrating everyone’s accomplishments.
Our Tuesdays and Thursdays are filled with movement, music and opportunities to connect through our wonderful lineup of wellness programs. We are fortunate to work with a talented group of professional instructors, including Amanda, Cathy, Angel and Kaylin, who each bring their own unique style, energy and expertise to Zack’s Place.
Our classes include yoga, Pilates, dance yoga, mindfulness and movement, offering something for everyone. Instructors thoughtfully adapt activities to meet individual needs and abilities, whether we are stretching and practicing traditional poses, moving to music, working on balance and strength or taking time to relax and focus.
What makes these programs so special is the encouragement and positive energy our instructors bring to every session. Participants are supported at their own pace and encouraged to discover what feels good for their bodies.
These programs provide wonderful opportunities to move, stretch, relax, build confidence and have fun together—all while creating a positive and welcoming environment for everyone at Zack’s Place.
Every week, we gather for art classes that give everyone the chance to explore their creativity, try new techniques and, most importantly, have fun!
Learn More about Artist GuildOur partnerships with Artistree, Pentangle Arts, Vermont Adaptive and QLLA Charities bring art, theatre and outdoor adventures to our participants.
Learn More about Community PartnersOur annual theater production, workshops with Brattleboro’s Traveling Troupe, weekly singing with Kerry, music with Mark and Kathleen, and trips to Northern Stage.
Learn More about Performing Arts
