By Shannon McMahon

After its successful pilot run ends in June, the Westerville City School’s new Enrollment and Family Resource Center will extend its services to all Westerville students.

Partnered with OhioHealth, the school district opened the doors to the center Jan. 5. The facility is located at the corner of Polaris Parkway and Africa Road, on the OhioHealth Westerville Medical Campus.

The center’s pilot run extended to four Westerville schools: Huber Ridge Elementary, Pointview Elementary, Genoa Middle School and Westerville Central High School. School officials involved with the project say results from the center’s programs have been nothing but positive.

According to Mark Hershiser, chief of community relations for Westerville City Schools, many people are excited to see the center thrive.

“Across the district, there is excitement,” Hershiser says. “A lot of people have been involved and everyone is excited.”

Hershiser says the project is the culmination of four years of collaboration between the schools and OhioHealth.

“I met with (representatives) from OhioHealth many times,” Hershiser says. “I’ve never heard ‘No’ or ‘We can’t.’ Everything’s a possibility.”

The two organizations shared common goals in building the space, which provides centralized enrollment assistance and other educational services to Westerville families. Both insisted on providing a positive experience for their clients, helping families, providing the right connections for assistance and improving student achievement.

Centralized enrollment is the center’s main objective, especially for families new to the school system.

Amy Miller, coordinator of Diversity and Family Engagement, says the family education coordinators and family liaisons at the center are vital for providing assistance to their clients. With their help, parents can learn to navigate the school system, fill out enrollment paperwork, find local doctors to fulfill their children’s medical needs before starting school and attend free financial consultations.

“We had a common interest in creating access for families and being welcoming,” Miller says. “We want to provide any resource to help a family succeed, so when their kids go to school, they’re ready.”

Miller says the small staff has managed many requests from visitors. Students have come in to print documents, draft college applications and even look for jobs.

The center helps break down language barriers, as well. The facility hosts a Martti Interpretation System, which provides real time interpretation of 150 languages. It also has English as a Second Language (ESL) courses available for new families, primarily the Latino and Somali communities in Westerville.

Hershiser and Miller say they are enthusiastic about the center’s direction. As a new piece of the Westerville community, the center will continue meeting the needs of local families.

“We’re really about involving families in education,” Miller says. “We honor the resources in our community and provide access in order to promote the home-school relationship.”

For more information, visit www.westerville.k12.oh.us.

Shannon McMahon is a contributing writer for Westerville Magazine.