The Steers’ dedication to Canterbury stems from Bob’s, his brothers’, and his father’s time spent there, an experience Bob says profoundly shaped each of their lives. After graduating from Canterbury in 1971, Bob obtained his BS in Finance and Economics from Georgetown and MBA from The George Washington University. Bob and Lauren, along with Martin and Michele Cohen, went on to co-found Cohen & Steers, Inc. in 1986—the first and largest global investment manager dedicated to real estate securities. Bob joined the Board of Trustees in 2002 and became its president in 2007, and Lauren joined the Board in 2018. The couple has made significant financial contributions to the School, but even more importantly, they have become integral to its vision. The couple resides in Rye, NY, and their younger son, JP, also attended Canterbury, graduating in 2011. Lauren’s brother, Philip C. Smith Jr., is also a graduate, class of 1976.

Bob shared his and Lauren’s excitement for the new building and for Canterbury’s future. “Lauren and I are committed to making this vision a reality. We have the leadership in Rachel and our Board, and the growing support of our alumni and parents, to successfully fulfill these goals. Most importantly, the Board is committed to ensuring that Canterbury remains a school that instills character and values in young women and men. This school transformed my father’s life. It transformed my life. But Lauren’s and my commitment is based on more than that; it is based on our abiding belief in Canterbury’s mission to inspire students to become moral leaders in a complex, secular world.”

The genesis of the Steers Center actually came from the students themselves. When asked what would enhance their experience at the School, students unanimously requested a space that would serve as the nexus for student activities—a common area where day and boarding students could spend time between classes, students across all grades could bond with one another, classes could work on projects with their teachers, and spiritual growth could be nurtured. A tall order by any account, but one that Head of School Rachel Stone and the Board of Trustees made an immediate priority. 

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the entire Canterbury community, including students, faculty, staff, donors and trustees, and kicked off the first meeting of the Board of Trustees for the academic year. The ceremony also included the announcement of the building’s name by Rachel Stone. She remarked: “In recognition of their lead philanthropic gift, their deep care for and investment in our students and faculty, and their invaluable leadership and service on our Board of Trustees, it is my honor and privilege to announce the naming of the Steers Center.  This new building will move Canterbury School boldly forward into the future, and so it is truly fitting that it bear the Steers name.”  

To read more about the momentous event, click here.

“The D'Amour family's devotion to Canterbury's mission and values, which are firmly rooted in our Catholic heritage, speaks to their integral role in the Canterbury family, their generosity of spirit, and their enduring commitment to a life of service,” said Head of School Rachel Stone. “The creation of our new Center for Faith, Service, and Justice will allow the D'Amour name to inspire generations of students as they wrestle with questions, weave service throughout their lives, and embrace a life lived in response to something greater than themselves. We are deeply grateful for Michele and Don's extraordinary generosity to our students and our School.”  

In addition to housing Canterbury’s campus ministry office, the D’Amour Center will serve as a home for service activities, retreats, guest speaking events, discussion groups, and prayerful meditation throughout each day. The current Center, which opened in September 2018, is located in Nelson Hume Hall in a repurposed classroom that is limited in its ability to accommodate the growing programmatic needs and daily use by students and faculty.  

Two of our children learned what is true and what is good at Canterbury School,” said the D’Amours on the occasion of their gift. “Now two of our grandchildren are there, not only to attain college and career readiness but in the pursuit of truth to become individuals who will enter adulthood and embrace becoming citizen-leaders.” The couple continued, “We have long been supporters of schools that understand that faith and reason are compatible. Canterbury has not lost its focus in this regard but has chosen to strengthen its core mission and demonstrate that commitment in a concrete fashion through the Center for Faith, Service, and Justice. We are proud to help continue that legacy.”

The D’Amours are the parents of two Canterbury graduates and grandparents of two current students. Donald is the retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Big Y Foods, Inc. and Michele previously served as the company’s Educational Partnership Administrator. Their generosity extends across myriad faith-based, education, health, and arts organizations including the Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Mass.; The D’Amour Cancer Center, Mass.; Assumption College, Mass.; The Community Music School of Springfield, Mass.; Pope Francis Preparatory School, Mass.; the Parents Television Council, Calif.; and The Springfield Rescue Mission, Mass., among others. 

CENTER FOR FAITH, SERVICE & JUSTICE

Founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1946, the Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of Education, Health, Culture and Social Service. The Foundations’ goal is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives. Since inception, the Foundations have made over 21,300 grants to 6,000 organizations, totaling more than $1.23 billion in funds awarded.

Canterbury was introduced to the Foundations by alumnus William Hearst III ’67 and began the rigorous grant application process in the spring of 2019. A crucial part of the process was a site visit from the Foundations, which included time spent with Canterbury’s Associate Head of School for Academics, Suzanne Roberts; Physics Faculty and Robotics Team Coach, Mike Kennedy; and Director of Academic Technology & Innovation, Rob Roffe, as well as several students who use our current Makerspace and design lab. Mike Kennedy spoke about the limitations of the current space used for the Robotics Team: “Our team could not even test their robot for competition based on the size of our space and limited access to electrical outlets.” Member of the Robotics Team, Erik Stedman ’20, emphasized the importance of the new space for the team to learn and practice the transferable skills of engineering, saying, “Robotics allows you to focus on the specific interests you have—design, coding, engineering, testing—and to develop your own unique skill set. If I want to go to college to study engineering, I need the foundational knowledge that I have developed here.”

The awarded grant will help crystallize the Innovation Lab as a central academic space that will enable students and faculty to weave elements of design thinking and fabrication/ideation processes into subject areas spanning the humanities, arts, and sciences. Suzanne Roberts looks forward to the integration of the space across disciplines to prepare students for college and beyond, stating, “Innovation classes and coding languages have to be a part of every student’s curriculum in order to effectively participate in our global technology-based society.” The project has been galvanized by the ethos that “the most creative spaces are those which hurl us together. It is the human friction that makes the sparks.” (Lehrer, J. “Groupthink: The Brainstorming Myth.” The New Yorker. 30 Jan. 2012. The New Yorker Web. 4 Mar. 2019.)

The well-appointed Innovation Lab will be centrally located on the lower level of the Steers Center and will include a NVBots Pro 3D printer, Glowforge Plus laser cutter, LaserPoint 3 ARMS Contour Cut Vinyl Cutter, Heavy Duty Singer sewing machine and other equipment. The space will be structured and scheduled to allow interdisciplinary access.

To learn more about the Hearst Foundations and read their winter grants press release, click here.