Kent Squared: Where Talent Meets Opportunity

What happens when you give talented young minds the space to think deeply and dream boldly? At Kent, we are witnessing the answer unfold each summer through a program called “Kent Squared,” a transformative partnership with Squared, a national nonprofit that expands opportunities for talented students.

Kent Squared is built on the simple idea that the tools of a Kent School education—rigorous inquiry, collaborative discourse, and a commitment to excellence—can be extended to first-generation, low-income students from public schools across the country. Over three summers, Kent Squared students immerse themselves in a five-week program that focuses on math, engineering, writing, and college counseling. 

At Kent Squared, students are fully immersed in campus life. Students live in Case Dorm and Hoerle Hall, eat in the dining hall, and spend their afternoons rowing on the Housatonic or practicing tennis in the Bourke Racquet Center. They wrestle with calculus problems and craft their personal narratives in writing class. Throughout, they are learning how to think with clarity, compassion, and curiosity. Students routinely describe the community as “a family.” The result is a genuine slice of the Kent experience, one that inspires students to see themselves as members of the community here at Kent School. 

Squared identified and selected Kent School as a partner after a competitive search process that considered over 50 different Independent Boarding Schools across the country. Nick Favaloro, CEO of Squared, explains why Kent School was chosen: “We found immediate and deep alignment with Kent School leadership. From the dining hall to the operations and facilities teams to the Kent School faculty…we are so grateful that we have encountered nothing but collaboration and open arms. Plus, it certainly doesn’t hurt to live in such a beautiful summer-camp-esque setting along the Housatonic.”

For the Kent School, mission-aligned summer programming like Kent Squared offers multiple benefits above and beyond the students’ experience. It helps keep the lights on in the summer and supports services like dining to run smoothly year-round. It also offers meaningful summer employment for Kent School teachers who are interested in participating. Alumni, faculty, and friends of Kent are already helping Kent Squared thrive through mentoring, summer visits, and program support.

Ryan Foote, a longtime English teacher, is one of a number of Kent School faculty members who have taught at Kent Squared over the past two summers. When asked about Squared, Ryan shares “I sing this program’s praises. I love teaching students who enjoy learning for learning’s sake. My Kent Squared students have been so kind and express so much gratitude. I find myself rooting for all of them by the end of the summer. Can life get any better teaching in a community like this?”

Squared has a long history of success. The first program of its kind was established in 1977 at Phillips Academy in Andover, and 30 years later the flagship Squared affiliate program, (HS)², launched at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, Colorado,  Kent School Assistant Head of School, CFO & COO, Jeff Cataldo, visited the (HS)² program in Colorado in the summer of 2023 and immediately recognized that this program can thrive at Kent. When asked why bring Squared to Kent, Jeff explains “I am not sure I can think of a better way to use the Kent School campus during the summer months. Helping high-achieving students who crave more support to fully recognize their learning and overall development goals is what Kent School does.”

The (HS)² program, Squared’s flagship affiliate, has a nearly twenty-year record of success, with 88% of alumni graduating from college: far exceeding the national average for low-income, first-generation students. Many go on to high-growth STEM careers, and nearly one-third return as faculty, inspiring the next generation as engineers, scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs.

One such leader is Jonathan Price, now Executive Director of Kent Squared. Jonathan graduated from the (HS)2 program in Colorado before attending Rice University and pursuing a career in engineering. As director, Jonathan has led student recruitment efforts and has selected the program’s current 57 students from regions across the country, including West Texas, Denver, New York City, New Haven, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Waterbury. Next year, the program will continue to grow to serve 90 students in total. 

Kent School is leading the way in the independent school space. This upcoming summer, the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts, will follow our school’s lead and open their own “Middlesex Squared” program in partnership with Squared. These two new programs are important steps in Squared’s mission to work in partnership with independent schools to expand opportunities for talented first generation low-income students across the country.

And at the heart of all of it lies a strong student experience. When reflecting on their summer, one student from New Haven, Connecticut, shares: “Kent Squared is a loving community where you create a bond with everyone. It’s an opportunity to meet amazing people and build another family. [The program] has prepared me for school and given me an opportunity to achieve in STEM fields.”

There are many ways to get involved and help contribute to the launch of this exciting chapter for Kent School. If you are interested in learning more about Kent Squared or supporting the program, please contact Jeff Cataldo at 

cataldoj@kent-school.edu. And please come visit the program in action next summer!

By Nick Favaloro CEO, The Squared Network