Keswick School had its beginnings on a small farm in Keswick, Virginia. When Bob and Libby Wilson founded the school in 1963, it began with a few summer school students who resided in the “Main House” of the farm. Libby fulfilled the roles of teacher and administrator, all while raising a family of three children. Together Bob and Libby worked as a team, and their efforts changed the lives of many young boys. From those modest beginnings, the school has grown and become a well-known therapeutic school.
In the sixty years since its founding, Keswick School now includes three dormitories, an independent living house, and a newly renovated dining hall in the old Keswick Railroad Depot. The administrative offices recently moved into the renovated “Main House” and utilize the old offices for music, training, and a temporary apartment for staff. The 36 students enrolled at Keswick School are supported by a Ph.D. clinical psychologist, a marriage and family counselor, and two clinical social workers. In addition to classroom education, the school provides speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and art therapy.
With this array of services, the tuition, room, board, and fees for counseling and related services can be beyond the means of many families whose sons could benefit from Keswick School. The school initiated a financial aid program in 2019, thanks to a donation from a family whose son was a former student. The financial aid program grew from offering one full scholarship for the first three years of the program to providing $1.5 million in financial aid to 16 students for multiple years. For the past five years, this particular family has been extremely generous in supporting Keswick School. They have also pledged to continue their support for the next five years. This support has given Keswick School the opportunity to become one of the nation's top leaders in the field of therapeutic special education board schools. As a result, enrollment at Keswick School is now a reality.
About Keswick School
Keswick School is a nationally recognized therapeutic special education boarding school located in Keswick, Virginia, just outside of Charlottesville Virginia. We have been serving boys ages 9-18 with complex social-emotional, learning, developmental, and emotional challenges for 60 years. We are accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities and licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. We are a member of the Small Boarding School Association.