From left, CCDC Principal Dr. Bruce Tinor, CCIU Executive Director Dr. George F. Fiore, student Evan Range and his mother Molly Rang, student Jake LeSage and his parents Stacey and Wayne, and CCIU Learning Center Principal Dr. Don Mangan celebrate the groundbreaking of the Child and Career Development Center’s new Great Valley campus on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) celebrated the Child and Career Development Center’s new Great Valley campus with a groundbreaking ceremony for staff and educational partners on Tuesday, June 18.
The Great Valley campus is set to open in September 2026 and will serve as an extension of the CCDC’s current Coatesville campus. The Great Valley campus will serve 187 students across Chester County.
The campus will provide students with the “space and services they need to thrive,” according to CCIU Executive Director Dr. George F. Fiore.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering an inclusive, nurturing, and forward-thinking educational environment for our learners,” Fiore said. “It represents more than just a new building. It represents our unwavering dedication to equity in opportunity and excellence in education.”
One of the most important benefits of the new campus will be the reduction in long bus rides for students. Fiore noted that many current CCDC students and their families have to travel over an hour to receive services and the new Great Valley campus will provide critical services to students closer to home.
The new campus will also be designed to “ensure communitywide accessibility” for students, staff, and visitors, according to Fiore. There will be an emphasis placed on scenic views and natural light in order to promote positive mental health and a connection to nature.
“I love the vision for this project,” State Senator Carolyn Comitta said. “It’s going to be good for the kids. It’s going to be good for the staff and the parents; everybody who is in this space. A space can really open up your heart and mind and be nourishing. Thank you to the CCIU for thinking about the needs of the children today and in the future.”
Tuesday’s ceremony also featured remarks from CCIU Board President Bonnie J. Wolff, Chair of the CCIU School Authority Board Thomas Wolpert, Esq., CCIU Director of Student Services Dr. Siobhan Leavy, and Great Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Daniel Goffredo. Students were also in attendance, representing the student body that will benefit from the new campus.
For more information on the CCIU expansion projects, including the CCDC Great Valley Campus, please visit www.cciu.org/expansion.
