CENTER FOR CREATIVE EDUCATION AND ROTARY CLUB OF PALM BEACH/FLAGLER BRING GLOBAL LITERACY TO LIFE FOR INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY
Rotary Club of Palm Beach/Flager donated 66 books for each student at The Foundations School at CCE
West Palm Beach, FL—Students at The Foundations School at Center for Creative Education (CCE) embarked on a global adventure through storytelling as they celebrated International Literacy Day on Monday, September 9. The event featured a special donation of books from the Rotary Club of Palm Beach/Flagler at a school assembly, marking the launch of a multi-week project centered on “Fairy Tales from Around the World.”
“This collaboration with the Rotary Club of Palm Beach/Flagler allows us to weave literacy, cultural exploration and the arts into an interdisciplinary learning experience for some of our community’s most at-risk students,” said Dr. Susan Wemette, Director of Arts Integration and Creativity at CCE. “Our students are not just reading stories—they’re living them through creative projects that inspire a deeper understanding of the world around them.”
During the school assembly, each of the 66 students at The Foundations School at CCE received a book handpicked and purchased by members of the Rotary Club of Palm Beach/Flagler. This initiative supports The Foundation School’s innovative curriculum and focus on literacy, allowing students to explore cultural versions of fairy tales, such as “Cinderella,” integrated with subjects like math, science and social-emotional learning. Additionally, throughout the year, students will participate in global writing exchanges and collaborative multimedia art projects with partner schools from the U.K., Czech Republic, Taiwan, Brazil and India.
“When you give a student a book, you’re giving them hope,” said Robert L. Hamon, President and CEO of Center for Creative Education. “The partnership between CCE and the Rotary Club of Palm Beach/Flagler is a shining example of how community organizations can come together to make a meaningful impact on education. Last year, the percentage of third-grade students at The Foundations School reading on or above grade level grew from 30% to 80% – that’s an increase of 50% since the start of the school year.”
CCE’s mission is to transform teaching and learning through creativity and the arts. In addition to offering extended learning opportunities across Palm Beach County, CCE runs The Foundations School, a K-5 independent school improving literacy and breaking traditional education barriers through the arts for underserved students. CCE also operates Blue Planet Global, a non-profit organization that coaches teachers in using international classroom-to-classroom collaborations to teach core curriculum and global competence. The school uses a sliding-fee scale for tuition, applying state and CCE scholarships to cover the balance.
For additional information on The Foundations School or Center for Creative Education, visit cceflorida.org. To make a donation toward a scholarship, please call Jonathon Ortiz-Smykla at 561.805.9927; extension 118.