Thursday, March 28, 2024

Roots Community School becomes newest tenant partner at The Community Center

Posted
CHELAN – Seven Acres Foundation, developers of the forthcoming Community Center at Lake Chelan (CCLC), has reached a long-term agreement with Roots Community School to become a major tenant at the new facility.  Plans call for the school to occupy the entire second floor of the building beginning in September of 2022, with separate entrances and exits so as not to interfere with the facility’s day-to-day operation.  Roots will become a significant source of revenue for the CCLC, thereby enabling the Center to offer a wider variety of services, while at the same time keeping usage fees as low as possible for Chelan Valley residents.
In making the announcement, Seven Acres board member, Scott Hutchinson, said this is definitely a win-win situation for both parties.  “The Roots Community School has positively impacted a variety of families, including ours, who seek an alternative learning experience for their children.  We in the Chelan Valley are fortunate to have such a school as an educational option, and I couldn’t think of a more mutually beneficial union than our centrally located Community Center providing a home for great education for residents to enjoy. What we have are two excellent area resources with very similar missions coming together as one.”   
Roots Community School, located within the City of Chelan, was founded in the fall of 2017 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  It operates entirely off of revenue derived from tuition, grants and charitable donations. Current enrollment totals 66 students, with educational levels spanning Kindergarten through the 6th grade.  Utilizing a holistic education model, the school is dedicated to preparing students to meet the challenges of everyday living as well as academics. Their educational structure is centered around project-based learning, where students design, plan and carry out extended projects that produce publicly-exhibited outputs such as a product, community service project, publication, or presentation. 
Erin Fielding, Managing Director of Roots, sees a powerful alignment between the goals and values of the two parties.  “One of the reasons the Seven Acres Foundation was formed was to make a difference in the lives of people in the Lake Chelan Valley. At Roots, we share and embrace this vision. Not only do we want to make a difference in the lives of our students and families, but we also want to reach out and partner with other nonprofits to have a major impact on our entire community. Nothing great is ever achieved alone. To have the school housed within the CCLC where all community members are served is humbling, and it awards us a unique opportunity to teach our own students the value of paying forward kindness and generosity in a very real and tangible way.” 
Aura Sanderson, a school parent and Founding Board Member, also notes the similarity in goals and values. “Roots is built on a foundation of core values that are honored and lived by our founding members, board members, and Roots families. One of those core principles is that we value and honor others.  Meaningful and important works are accomplished when diverse perspectives, experiences, minds, talents and skills are brought together.  Mother Teresa once said ‘You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do, together we can do great things.’  We appreciate finding this same value alignment in our partnership with Seven Acres Foundation and the Community Center at Lake Chelan.”  She also believes this opportunity allows Roots to expand their unique learning programs to a larger number and wider variety of families in the form of after-school summer programs and other initiatives. 
For more information on Roots, please visit www.rootscommunityschool.com.  Open enrollment for 1st through 6th grade for the 2021-2022 school year began on February 1.  The school complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, handicap or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
To learn more about or donate directly to the Community Center at Lake Chelan, please go to www.ccatlakechelan.org or contact Raye Evans, Executive Director of the Seven Acres Foundation at raye@sevenacresfoundation.org

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here