HISTORY

The Christopher Columbus Charter School is located in South Philadelphia. At Its Inception In 1999, the school served students in grades K, 1, 2, and 3. Each year a grade was added, until it became a K-8 school. Presently, the school is serving 772. There are two facilities: the North Building, located at 916 Christian Street, houses students in grades K-5, and the South Building, located at 1242-46 South 13th Street, houses students in grades 5-8. Christopher Columbus Charter School students are a microcosm of the city. CCCS is a multicultural school serving families with various levels of income

The founding board members' vision was the development of a school community in the heart of South Philadelphia's "Italian Market" area to be a source of hope in the ever-changing urban environment. Children from all cultural backgrounds, neighborhoods, and family situations would be welcomed to experience the joy of learning and to develop an innate love for learning. A major part of this vision was to promote the discovery of responsible citizenship and the skills for utilizing that citizenship in their families, communities, and in their world.

Over the past fourteen years, the administration and staff of Christopher Columbus Charter School have worked together to make the founding board members' vision a reality. They have collaboratively created a highly effective learning environment where the students succeed, feel safe, and learn to respect themselves and others. The students experience rigorous academic learning and the development of positive character traits through an on-going character development program. The administration makes every effort to see that all stakeholders in the school community are involved and accommodated, in order to ensure that all CCCS students will receive the best education possible.