Ohio Electric Company Donates $150,000 for Education

Columbus City Schools and the Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center’s LifeTown in New Albany accepted a $150,000 sponsorship gift to fund the LifeTown curriculum for district’s special-needs program this school year.

Columbus City Schools for three years has partnered with LifeTown, a life-skills learning facility for students with special needs, dating back to the LifeTown’s old location at Kent Elementary School in Columbus.

Though open to special-needs students from school districts across Central Ohio, the Columbus district is LifeTown’s largest contracted partner, providing services to 50 children a day. But funding to complete the 2011-12 school year was in jeopardy.

The American Electric Power Foundation approved a grant to sponsor Columbus City Schools’ LifeTown for the 2011-12 school year, allowing the district to continue integrating the curriculum in its special-needs programs.

The donation formally was accepted in an Oct. 4 ceremony at LifeTown.

Columbus Superintendent Gene Harris, on hand to accept the donation, said losing the program “would have been devastating to the progress we have made with our special-needs children,” according to a release from the center.

LifeTown is a hands-on program for children with special needs that teaches skills for assimilating into common society through immersed role-play. Facades of common neighborhood establishments such as a bank, working movie theater, doctor’s office and market are featured in a Main Street-type setting.

“Columbus City Schools saw early on how our program impacted the students and their families. We’re humbled by the AEP Foundation’s gift and thrilled to be able to continue providing this service to these children,” said Esther Kaltmann, executive director of the Chabad Center and LifeTown, in the release.