IMPACT Tallahassee's 2025 Year in Review

Special Note from Our CEO

As we come to the close of a remarkable year at IMPACT Tallahassee, I am filled with gratitude for the people who continue to move this mission forward. Our Academy is at record enrollment and is finishing its first year as a fully accredited school through the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS). IMPACT Therapy continues to serve over five hundred families each week and provided over 42,000+ hours of care between Rehabilitation (REHAB) & Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services.

This year has been defined by growth, momentum, and transformational progress.

IMPACT Tallahassee now has 90 +/- employees among Therapy, Academy, Preschool and our Foundation. I am proud to share this “End of Year Review” that highlights several key accomplishments reflecting the extraordinary work of our IMPACT team and the generous commitment of our community partners.

One of this year’s biggest “Wins” was IMPACT Academy being awarded a state appropriation supporting our Academy expansion and the creation of a dedicated inclusive playground for our students.

This achievement, years in the making, was made possible through persistent advocacy and the support of FL Representative Allison Tant and FL Senator Corey Simon. Combined with private philanthropy, this public investment has allowed us to transform our campus. We look forward to inviting our supporters to a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in the spring of 2026.

Looking Ahead: Momentum into 2026

· Completing our recent renovation of IMPACT Academy, including the development of our inclusive outdoor learning environment.

· Deepening our community partnerships to create meaningful, real-world workforce and life-skills opportunities for young adults transitioning beyond the Academy.

· Expanding Academy enrollment capacity to reduce waitlists across all disciplines and ensure more families can access high-quality, specialized care without delay.

· Continuing to recruit and add clinical professionals, particularly within our behavior services, to meet increasing demand while maintaining the highest standards of care and outcomes.

· Advancing plans for additional large scale campus expansion, positioning IMPACT as a state-wide leader in comprehensive care for our special needs community

To our families, staff, board members, donors and community partners, a very big THANK YOU! This year’s progress reflects your belief that every person, regardless of ability, deserves the chance to learn, work, grow, and thrive. We are so excited how the Lord is leading IMPACT to new heights each year!

To learn more about IMPACT’s mission and vision, please click here.

Kevin Kolka, IMPACT Tallahassee CEO

2025 IMPACT Year in Review

IMPACT PRESCHOOL

IMPACT ACADEMY

IMPACT THERAPY

42 Students in Preschool

67 Students in Academy

500+ Families in Therapy

25% increase in enrollment in just the last quarter of 2025.

IMPACT Preschool celebrated a 100% retention rate with all of our graduates Pre-K moving on to our Academy in Spring 2025.

This year was filled with visits from first responders and community helpers. Special thanks to the Bradfordville Fire Department and Leon County for familiarizing our kids with safety procedures during a first responder call.

Our Academy has record enrollment of 67 students in the 2025-2026 school year.

This is from 41 students just two years ago.

Academy is now fully accredited with the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS).

Academy was awarded a $600,000.00 state appropriation in the 2025 budget.

Paired with private support from our donors, and other available funds, this is a transformational project for the families we serve.

This expansion of our existing space will allow us to serve more students and also serves to create a dedicated and inclusive outdoor space for all of our children and young adults.

IMPACT Therapy has had a 120% increase in therapy hours compared to 2024.

Our Rehab and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) disciplines combined to provide over 42,000 hours of therapeutic care.

Our ABA department grew at an incredible rate in 2025 delivering 50% more hours of care.

Our Rehab department has begun a collaboration with FSU in which undergrads can shadow their profession of choice with IMPACT Therapy.

There are currently (7) speech-language pathologists, (7) occupational therapists, and (2) physical therapists on our Rehab Staff. We also have over (20) ABA therapists with plans to add additional staff in 2026 to meet the growing need in our community.

Fundraising

IMPACT Tallahassee successfully held its semi-annual fundraising events in the spring and fall of 2025. The highlight of the season was the 3rd Annual “Clays for IMPACT,” which took place in April at the prestigious Southwind Plantation in Attapulgus, GA. A big thank you to our title sponsor, Sun Stop Stores, and all of our lead sponsors for their generous support.

In late October, we hosted the “Notes for IMPACT” event at Shiloh Farm, which turned out to be our largest community gathering yet. 161 supporters enjoyed a perfect Fall evening, with live music from “Restless Road,” all while celebrating our mission of inclusion and independence.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community partners and the dedication of our IMPACT Foundation and IMPACT Academy boards, IMPACT Tallahassee raised over $252,000.00. These funds will go toward renovating and expanding our facilities, services, and opportunities for our clients and students, as well as supporting the development of our new Community Center.

We are already looking forward to our 4th Annual “Clays for IMPACT,” set for April 10th-11th, 2026. Stay tuned for more details and we look forward to seeing everyone as we continue raising awareness and support for our mission!

Our Reach & Our Community

IMPACT Tallahassee continues to grow and expand our reach each year, supporting families from 14 Florida counties and four Georgia counties. In 2025, our mission of providing comprehensive and inclusive care in one location allowed us to serve more than 500 families. To our knowledge, we are the only organization of our kind in Florida.

IMPACT was honored to receive $12,500 from the Inland Family Foundation Golf Tournament in support of our Annual Fund. This contribution is part of our ongoing partnership with SunStop Stores, who continue to lead as the Title Sponsor for all of our community events.

Thanks to the leadership of Representative Allison Tant and Florida Senator Corey Simon, IMPACT Tallahassee was awarded a $600,000 state appropriation to support major campus renovations and the creation of a dedicated playground space for the families we serve. This achievement would not have been possible without strong community support and the private matching dollars provided by our donors.

Through our partnership with Big Bend SHRM, IMPACT Tallahassee was invited to present at their annual conference. With more than 75 local businesses represented and 250 attendees, our CEO highlighted IMPACT’s mission and recognized our IMPACT Heroes. We also hosted an information table to share resources with families interested in IMPACT Tallahassee, creating a valuable opportunity to raise awareness and share the impact of our work across the community.

Our IMPACT Academy Community & Career Readiness Program (CCRP) also continues to grow, with 10 students currently participating. Through partnerships with Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Publix, and Maclay, students gain meaningful on-site workforce training experiences. We are deeply grateful to our partners for providing these opportunities and helping prepare our students for future success.

The progress we made this year reflects the collective commitment of our families, staff, partners, donors, volunteers, and advocates who continue to stand alongside us. Together, we are building more than programs and facilities—we are building a place where children and young adults with special needs can learn, grow, and thrive, today and for generations to come.

Since 2006, IMPACT has worked to create a community where all children, especially those with special needs, could thrive.

IMPACT was founded in 2006 to provide families with a central location for children to receive first-rate therapeutic treatment from expert, individually licensed therapists. By 2012, services had expanded to include a wide variety of therapy types, including speech, music, and physical therapy, as well as the addition of IMPACT Academy and IMPACT Preschool.

Started by parents with a need for specialized programs, IMPACT is focused on building a community for all children, especially those with special needs. IMPACT serves children aged 6 weeks to 22 years old with varying disabilities, including but not limited to Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and Autism, and is the only full-service, comprehensive private education center in the region.

Over the last 15+ years, IMPACT has grown but remained focused on empowering and educating all children with a model that utilizes therapeutic intervention to provide a solid foundation for each child to have positive social, emotional, physical, and academic success. Whereas traditional schools cannot provide individualized care for each student, IMPACT understands that every child has the potential to succeed and deserves quality educational opportunities based on their individual developing strengths.

Learn More