William H. Pitt Foundation Donates $1 Million to Center for Creative Education Generous Gift Kicks off Phase 2 of CCE’s Capital Campaign for New Campus

West Palm Beach, FL -Thanks to a generous gift from The William H. Pitt Foundation, the Center for Creative Education (CCE) will continue to expand its program offerings and serve even more students attending its signature programming at The Foundations School. Under the direction of longtime CCE supporter Pauline Pitt, the board of The William H. Pitt Foundation gifted CCE with a $1 million investment to support both capital construction as well as program scholarships for local students. Additionally, the 1,300-square-foot entry solarium at The Foundations School will be named after The William H. Pitt Foundation.

CCE’s mission is to transform teaching and learning through creativity and the arts. In addition to providing extended learning opportunities across Palm Beach County, CCE also operates The Foundations School, a K-5 independent school that focuses on improving literacy and breaking the barriers of traditional education through the arts for students from underserved communities. The school uses a sliding fee scale based on household size and income, and no one is turned away for inability to pay.  

“We started The Foundations School in January 2021, intending to combat the literacy crisis plaguing our communities and using an arts-based curriculum to teach academic subjects,” said Robert L. Hamon, President and CEO of CCE. “This generous gift from The William H. Pitt Foundation enables us to change lives right here in our community.”

CCE broke ground on its campus at 2400 Metrocentre Boulevard in West Palm Beach in November 2021, and The Foundations School opened for classes in its new location in the fall of 2022. As The Foundations School families are asked to pay only what they can afford, and 99% of students qualify for need-based scholarships, tuition accounts for a very small percentage of the school’s operating revenue. All other funding comes from generous individuals, state and local government, corporations, and foundations like The William H. Pitt Foundation.

“CCE’s hands-on approach provides support to the most vulnerable students across the county,” said Palm Beach resident Pauline Pitt. “Our board saw an opportunity to help change our county’s reading statistics by supporting CCE’s unique approach—an arts-based curriculum to combat the education crisis. We love what they are doing, and their results are undeniable.”

Starting in August 2021, only 33% of third graders entering The Foundations School were reading on or above grade level. By the end of the school year, 67% of those students were reading on or above grade level – showcasing an increase of 34%. CCE achieves these results by committing to their 10 Points of Differentiation, the ten things that make them stand out in the field of education.

CCE is now moving into Phase 2 of their $20 million capital campaign to build out their new campus. In 2023, they will break ground on the Susan and Dom Telesco Arts and Science Center, a 22,000 square-foot building that will house a theater, an art gallery, STEM labs, art studios, and more. This new space will serve as a cultural resource for the community. 

​​For more information about CCE and to support The Foundations School and Phase 2 of CCE’s capital campaign, please visit cceflorida.org.