A concerned group of parents of Jewish children with special needs expressed a desire to participate in day school inclusion.  Seed money was granted by the Rose Community Foundation to establish an adapted curriculum at the Denver Academy of Torah, implemented by the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education (CAJE).  After three years, the grant expired, but parents raised private money and the program was able to continue for another year.  A task force study undertaken for CAJE in 2000-01 determined that a significantly expanded program would be required to meet the needs of the student population in Colorado.

The name "Keshet of the Rockies" was adopted in March 2001, reflecting the pioneering work of Keshet, a program serving Jewish students with special needs in the Chicago metropolitan area, which provided a template fro the Colorado program.  Keshet of the Rockies began services to students in the 2001-02 school year, at Hillel Academy, a K-8 school.  The program had excellent educational results.  For example, an assessment done of Keshet Downs' Syndrome students by a local university School of Education program found that the students studied were functioning at substantially higher levels than those typical for Downs' students of their age.  Keyboard entry skills were taught successfully to several middle-school age students.  Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah training produced impressive results.  Keshet staff worked with the JCC, JFS and other agencies to help provide various services to our student population.