(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Joint Initiatives for Youth Families (JI) and The Colorado Springs School District 11 (D11) announced an innovative partnership for the first phase of Galileo Middle School’s transformation into a community school, making it the first Community school of this model in El Paso County.

“It took a lot of work on the back end,” said Julie Scott, the Principal of Galileo Middle School. “We met with our parent community, we met with just community members, our students. And there’s been a lot of needs assessments that have gone into what this looks like and just the right fit for Galileo.”

Galileo Middle School will add the Ascend Community Center designed to support students with community resources both inside and outside of school, such as behavioral health, substance abuse treatments, and juvenile court.

“I think the most important part is it’s not what it means to District 11, [it’s what] it means to the students of Galileo and our larger community,” said Superintendent Michael Gaal. “It’s an opportunity for our students to get access to supports that have been very hard for them and their families to navigate in the past by bringing them right on site here at the Ascend Center”

Phase one of the project is expected to be fully up and running within the next 6 months.

To enroll in the community center, click on the link above.