The $22,793 CPSF grant is for the Family Welcome Center, located inside the CPS Aslin Administration Building at 1818 W. Worley in Columbia.  Grant funds went to renovating the area and providing new furniture to create a more welcome space for families of English Language Learner (ELL) students who are being evaluated.

“The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is pleased to provide funding to assist in creating a center where families feel welcome and comfortable as they access various services for their children,” said Lynn Barnett, president of the CPSF Board of Directors.

The Center also will include office space for CPS departments whose primary purpose is working directly with families, which could include Student and Family Advocacy, District Registrar and Summer School. In addition, the center will have flexible space available for the ELL staff to provide parent education classes.

The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is a private foundation established by community volunteers dedicated to the enrichment of public education through community giving.  The Foundation has funded projects in every school, allocating more than $1 million to enhance education in the Columbia Public Schools, CPSF has supported teachers and students for more than 20 years.