Arcadia announces plans for McDevitt building, partners with ASUA in Jenkintown

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March 24th, 2023 | By Ryan Genova

Arcadia University has announced a new local partnership with A Step Up Academy (ASUA) in Jenkintown which will involve the former Bishop McDevitt High School building at 125 Royal Avenue in Wyncote. ASUA will open a new location on the first two floors of the property beginning January 2024.

ASUA prepares students with autism to become engaged participants in society by delivering innovative programming and support from preschool through 12th grade. Arcadia’s partnership with ASUA will provide other opportunities for collaboration, including:

  • Student teacher placements for Arcadia’s School of Education (SOE) students;
  • Stage 1 and Stage 2 Fieldwork experiences for SOE’s first-year and sophomore students;
  • Internships for Special Education graduate and undergraduate students;
  • Internships and research opportunities for Applied Behavioral Analysis MEd students;
  • ASUA summer programming on Arcadia’s campus, allowing SOE students to gain valuable experience supporting autistic teens and young adults;
  • Development of a Post 21 Center focusing on post-education life management and planning for families, drawing on programs from across Arcadia’s Colleges and Schools Swimming, work placements, and other exposure activities for ASUA students on Arcadia’s campus.

“We look forward to exploring the boundless range of possibilities as we build a world that recognizes and values everyone’s potential to participate and contribute. We are grateful for the leadership of ASUA and their commitment to dreaming big and delivering on a compelling and vitally important mission,” Jeff Rutenbeck, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Joan Singleton, Vice President of Administration and Finance, said in a statement.

The McDevitt building’s sale agreement was announced on February 8th, 2022. The 18.21 acre property includes a four-story structure totaling 95,746 square feet, with athletic fields, and a parking lot. The property is also walking distance of Arcadia’s campus.

For more on ASUA, located at 520 Meetinghouse Rd, Jenkintown, you can visit their website and Facebook page.