Columbus, OH (July 15, 2014)—The Columbus Youth Foundation (CYF) has announced a $30,000 Signature Investment grant to provide new recreation space for United Schools Network’s flagship middle school, Columbus Collegiate Academy (CCA). CCA will celebrate this completed space with the “CCA Recreation Celebration,” a community event to be held on Tuesday, July 22 at 10 a.m. at the main campus located at 1469 East Main Street.
Special guest and member of the CYF Board of Trustees, Archie Griffin, will discuss the importance of academics and athletics for youth. A portion of the ceremony will include a tribute to the late Robert “Bob” Lazarus, Jr., who was a CYF board member for more than four decades and a strong advocate for this community investment.
The grant supported the replacement, refurbishment, and realignment of blacktop into recreation space for CCA students. The renovations transformed the unusable and unsafe blacktop into an active, open community space.
“Renovations to the outdoor space at CCA will offer even more active learning opportunities for the students through recreation and sports,” said Catherine T. Willis, CYF board member. “The improvements will also help create a healthy, positive environment for the rest of the community to enjoy.”
The grant also helps meet CCA’s long-term goal called Project:Play!, an initiative to maximize the space on campus while “taking steps toward health, community improvement and opportunities for students.” Last fall, the first phase of Project: Play!, targeting a different area on the CCA campus, was completed through theJoseph A. Jeffrey Fund of The Columbus Foundation.
United Schools Network, which includes both Columbus Collegiate Academy – Main and Columbus Collegiate Academy – Dana, is the current Continuous Improvement grantee of The Columbus Foundation. The Continuous Improvement partnerships focus on increasing capacity to meet community need, improving program quality, inspiring innovative service delivery, and strengthening institutional infrastructure.
The celebration event on July 22 will be attended by CCA students, athletes, parents, and staff as well as community members and leaders.
About Columbus Youth Foundation
The Columbus Youth Foundation was established as a Supporting Foundation of The Columbus Foundation in 1976. It began as a private foundation in 1955—focusing on sports and the disadvantaged youth of urban Columbus—and held the title to the Columbus Jets (now the Columbus Clippers). When the team dissolved, the CYF Trustees chose to join The Columbus Foundation in 1976 as the first Supporting Foundation. Since then, CYF has awarded more than $3.2 million in grants to help young people attend summer camp, participate in recreational activities, and enjoy cultural enrichment activities.
About United Schools Network
Established in 2008 with a five-year charter from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, the United Schools Network’s (USN) mission is to prepare middle school students to achieve academic excellence and become citizens of integrity. USN’s high expectations for scholarship and behavior, and an achievement-oriented school culture ensure all students are equipped to enter, succeed in, and graduate from the most demanding high schools and colleges. USN consists of two schools—Columbus Collegiate Academy – Main (CCA) and Columbus Collegiate Academy – Dana. USN will be opening its first elementary school, United Preparatory Academy, for 120 K-1 students on the west side of Columbus this fall.