GUIDING PRINCIPLE #6
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, GREAT SCHOOLS, AND JOB TRAINING Goal 1. Implement the vision and facilities at the new Kingswood Community Center. Built in 1956, the 17,000-square-foot Kingswood Community Center offers programs for residents of every age, from preschoolers to senior citizens. Within 2022, a new 100,000 SF facility, to be located behind the existing center will break ground. REACH Riverside secured funding from the state and federal funds, as well as foundation partners.
1.1 Support and expand existing programming at the new KCC, with community access to:
• Increased childcare capacity by double. • Designated senior center. • A gym and multi-purpose recreation center. • Outdoor sports facilities. • A commercial kitchen. • An expanded medical facility, operating in conjunction with ChristianaCare.
• Shared programming space for partner organization like The Teen Warehouse.
1.2 Strengthen partnerships and connections to area schools and other community centers in the northeast neighborhoods. Continue to strengthen the role of The Warehouse and the relationships with existing schools (including Thomas Edison Charter, Eastside Charter within the planning areas), as well as schools that local students attend across the district. KCC provides before and after school programming for school aged children 5-12 and students are eligible for The Warehouse programs at age 13. Explore incremental growth in enrollment of the out-of-school time programming in the evenings and on weekends through coordination with schools and partner programs. With children attending different schools throughout the city, it has been difficult to coordinate a tutoring approach that is uniform and to provide transportation as schools have been impacted by the COVID pandemic and bus driver shortages. In some cases, it may be more effective for students to attend their school’s programming than to travel to KCC. At the same time, develop additional capacity for summer and weekend programs that connect students from the northeast who attend school outside of the city.