Milton Hershey School

June 14, 2022 – We had the privilege of having Mike Kinney, administrator at the Milton Hershey School & President of Hershey Rotary Club, attend our breakfast meeting. The Milton Hershey School is a cost-free, private school for boys and girls in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Milton and Catherine Hershey founded the school in 1909 with money they earned from the chocolate company. Since then, the lives of more than 10,000 children from working-class and low-income families have been transformed through high-quality education and structured home life. The Hersheys loved children but were unable to have their own. Instead, they decided to use their wealth to create a home and school for orphaned boys. While our mission remains the same, curriculum and programs at the school have evolved to meet the changing needs of low-income families. In 2020, they expanded their impact when they announced the creation of Catherine Hershey School of Early Learning, a subsidiary focused on early education. On-campus housing provides stability and safety for students. It is available year-round and supports the whole child. House parents coordinate all parts of the student experience beyond the classroom and ensure children have what they need to be healthy and thrive. Student Home Life is at the core of the Milton Hershey School student experience. All children, from age 4 through 12th grade, live at school in a family-like atmosphere in a student home or transitional living apartment (12th grade). The Hersheys legacy and vision lives on in its students and alumni. Their generosity has touched the lives of thousands.