Isola Bella was bequeathed to The American School by the late Ferrari Ward. Both he and his wife, Muriel Alvord Ward, were members of the ASD Board of Directors. Mrs. Ward was the first woman to serve on the board. Nestled in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains on Twin Lakes, Salisbury, Connecticut, “Isola Bella” means Beautiful Island in Italian. Through this wonderful gift, the American School became the United States’ first school for the deaf to offer a summer program for hearing impaired youngsters and is the only camp for deaf children in Southern New England. Isola Bella is a scenic island estate that has been turned into a recreational/residential summer camp for deaf children ranging in age from 6 years to 18 years old. A wide variety of activities are offered depending on camper’s skill and interest level. Some of these activities include: archery, ropes course, arts & crafts, nature study, swimming, sailing and canoeing, water skiing, overnight camping, hiking, team and non-competitive games and a variety of special trips and projects. The philosophy of the program is “learning through experience.”