Fullerton students have a new go-to place to find the resources they need to thrive in school, including health care or mental health counseling, free healthy meals, tutoring services and more.
The idea behind the new Nicolas Community Center is to provide a one-stop-shop of various wrap-around services for students and their families. With a design aesthetic centered on calming natural wood tones and greenery, the center provides private spaces for students to utilize for telehealth appointments, connections to a local urgent care facility and two pharmacies that can help families without insurance and a free family meal once a week.
Additionally, counselors, social service workers and a full-time community liaison will be on hand to help students and their families, both at the Nicolas Community Center and the six schools the center supports: Commonwealth, Maple, Nicolas, Richman, Valencia Park and Woodcrest.
The goal is to meet students and their families where they are and to provide them with the tools and resources they need to be successful in the classroom and the community, said Jackie Gallardo-Hoffmaster, a program specialist for Fullerton School District.
“What are different things we can provide so our students are feeling safe and ready to learn,” Gallardo-Hoffmaster said. “This is an opportunity for families and students to have a safe space where they can come and be vulnerable with us, and we can help them.”
For now, the community center is open during typical school business hours, but the plan is to extend its availability once it gets off the ground a bit more, Gallardo-Hoffmaster said.
The new Nicolas Community Center was unveiled by Fullerton School District on Thursday, March 30, with a ribbon-cutting and other festivities. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond was on hand for the event.
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