5-16-2026 4:20am

In Towson The

Community partners collaborate with Ridge Ruxton staff to host prom

Written by Sherri Fisher, community school facilitator, Ridge Ruxton School

Photos by Stephen Hopkins, additional assistant, Ridge Ruxton School

At the start of the year, it was looking like the annual prom for Ridge Ruxton School would be too expensive to pull off. Through collaboration with stakeholders and engagement with partners, this year's prom truly became an example of how Community Schools help reframe challenges into opportunities.

The Ridge Ruxton prom was held on May 13 at Broadmead retirement community. This partnership was built from expanding community-based instruction with a group of Broadmead residents. Through a collaboration started between Broadmead’s Volunteer Program Coordinator Kirsten Oudin and Ridge Ruxton’s Vocational Teacher Lauren Risk, Broadmead residents and Ridge Ruxton students meet monthly to do puzzles, play games, and read books.

During one of these trips, the idea was hatched to host the annual prom at Broadmead. Broadmead’s accessibility and commitment to inclusiveness made them a wonderful partner and very quickly everyone was excited and on board to make this happen. Broadmead administrators even supplied boutonnieres and corsages for each of our students. Ridge Ruxton students in Grades 11 and 12 and their parents were invited to attend.

Staff, residents, and community volunteers from both Broadmead and Ridge Ruxton came together to transform the Broadmead Auditorium into a dynamic venue. The theme was "Carnival" and featured decorations made by Grade 7 students at Loyola Blakefield (a Catholic college preparatory school) as well as Ridge Ruxton students.

The dance floor remained full throughout the prom with everyone enjoying crowd favorites performed by “Free and Appropriate,” the Ridge Ruxton staff band. Refreshments included a fabulous meal of favorite foods and an ice cream bar for dessert.

More photos from this event, all taken by Ridge Ruxton staff member Stephen Hopkins, can be found on Flickr.