Kendal-Crosslands Communities Celebrate Five Year Intergenerational Partnership with The Chester Charter School for the Arts

In 2012, residents of Kendal at Longwood, a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community, joined Dr. John Alston, then a music professor at Swarthmore College, and Chester city educators and advocates to create an educational start-up for the children of Chester. Five years later, Kendal residents and Chester families and teachers are celebrating the success of their partnership and their school, now known as The Chester Charter School for the Arts (CCSA). CCSA is a public non-profit arts-integrated charter school serving students in the predominantly African American city of Chester, one of the poorest cities in America.

On Tuesday, February 28, at 4 PM, Kendal-Crosslands Communities and CCSA students will come together to celebrate their intergenerational partnership and launch an arts education showcase, which will span two weeks. The showcase provides an inside view of the impact of arts integration in the urban classroom and is entitled: Building Bright Futures: Celebrating The Chester Charter School for the Arts.

Building Bright Futures kicks off Tuesday afternoon with a performance of ballet, jazz, and modern works by CCSA dancers. This will also mark the gallery opening of a CCSA student art show. A reception following the dance performance The event marks the five-year anniversary of CCSA's founding and is organized by Kendal at Longwood residents Allan Brick, Peggy Brick, Peggy Draegert, Jim Hazard, Elsa Lichtenberg, Bill Miller, Judi Paxson, Marilyn Rico, and Betty Warner.

The Chester Charter School for the Arts (CCSA): CCSA was founded in 2012 to prepare Chester children to employ their intellectual and creative powers to enrich their community. CCSA is a non-selective, public school, and the sole local public school teaching children through arts-integration, which combines the rigorous study of traditional academics and the arts. CCSA has achieved consistent and significant gains in student proficiency in literacy and attendance through its model. CCSA is supported by The Chester Fund for Education and the Arts, a 501 (c)(3) organization, which administers programs and activities at CCSA that are not funded through public school allocations. To learn more visit: www.thechesterfund.org/events/kendal

Kendal~Crosslands Communities: KCC has a rich history of volunteer service. Both residents and staff are encouraged to be involved in the larger community, where they develop new friendships across generations and with people from diverse ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. KCC residents find that volunteering their time and talent not only broadens their horizons and forges new friendships, they find that they are "Together, transforming the experience of aging.®" http://kcc.kendal.org/ccsa/

Building Bright Futures

The Chester Charter School for the Arts

A Pop up Art and Dance Showcase

Opening Event | Tuesday, February 28 | 4­-5:30 p.m.

Student Dance Performance and Art Exhibit

The visual art exhibition will remain on view at Kendal's gallery February 28 - March 13