Little Harbour School honored as ‘Most Outstanding’ at 2025 Best Buddies Leadership Conference
PORTSMOUTH – From July 18–21, more than 2,500 student leaders, volunteers, and advocates from around the world gathered at Indiana University for the annual Best Buddies International Leadership Conference. During the event, the Best Buddies chapter at Little Harbour Elementary School in Portsmouth was honored with the 2025 Overall Outstanding Chapter Award, recognizing their exceptional efforts in fostering inclusion and friendship for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Selected from among hundreds of Best Buddies elementary school programs globally, Little Harbour stood out for its dedication and impact.
This year’s conference theme, “Wickedly Inclusive,” infused the weekend with bold, magical energy celebrating leadership, connection, and the power of inclusive communities. The conference celebrated the incredible impact volunteers with and without IDD have made in the world as a result of their leadership. Attendees received lessons from global leaders in the disability rights movement; watched inspiring performances; witnessed moving testimonies; and attended compelling and empowering leadership sessions.
Best Buddies International is a groundbreaking nonprofit founded in 1989 by Anthony K. Shriver to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The Best Buddies chapter at Little Harbour, which has 30 participants, was started in 2021 and is led by staff advisors Kristen Heath, Nicole Fragala, and Britt SantaMaria. Best Buddies New Hampshire currently operates 40 chapters in schools and colleges statewide.
Kittery School District announces appointment of Director Special Services
KITTERY, Maine — The Kittery School District announced the appointment of Josie Chadbourne as the next Director of Special Services, effective Aug. 1, 2025. Chadbourne will succeed current Director of Special Services, Joe Bassett, who will be serving as interim assistant principal at Mitchell School for School Year ‘25-26.
Chadbourne’s appointment was approved unanimously by the Kittery School Committee and came after a comprehensive search and vetting process that included rounds of interviews with staff, families, community members and members of the district leadership team. The District is pleased to welcome her to this important district level role.
Interim Superintendent JoAnne Dowd introduced Chadbourne to the School Committee and expressed confidence in her appointment. “Ms. Chadbourne has years of experience in the special education field and will be a great fit on our leadership team. She has the appropriate amount and type of experience and is at the right place in her career to meet the district where we are and help us continue to move forward.”
Ms. Chadbourne earned her Masters Degree from University of Southern Maine (USM) in Educational Leadership and has an undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She grew up in North Berwick Maine and still lives there with her husband, two children and dog. When she’s not busy with her children’s hobbies, she enjoys gardening, spending time at the beach in the summer andsnowmobiling with her family in the winter.
Chadbourne said, “I am genuinely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to serve the Kittery School district in this role. I cannot wait to get started and begin to contribute meaningfully to the Kittery community and its students.”
With 20 years of Special Education experience, Ms. Chadbourne brings a wealth of expertise working with students and families with special needs. She most recently served as principal of the Mary Hurd school in North Berwick, a self-contained school for students with behavioral and emotional disabilities grades 7-12.
Ms. Chadbourne has also served for 16 years as the Varsity Field Hockey coach at Noble High School and is involved in the youth field hockey program for students from grades k-6th.
The Kittery School District of approximately 1,000 students looks forward to welcoming Ms. Chadbourne this summer and is confident her depth and breadth of experience will support the continued success and innovation that defines Kittery’s learning environment.