The Columbus Centre and Centro Scuola: Partners in Keeping the Italian Language and Culture Alive in the GTA
 
A shared commitment to sustaining and promoting the Italian language and culture is the cornerstone of Villa Charities' more than three decade-long affiliation with Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana.
 
Centro Scuola, which offers Italian language learning and cultural exchange opportunities for students of all ages, has been an integral part of the Columbus Centre since 1984.

Centro Scuola organizes Saturday morning Italian classes for children, where students are engaged through sport and cultural activities such as cooking, hands-on summer school credit courses in Italy in partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) and York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB), and adult classes.
 
Beyond its core Italian language programs, Centro Scuola organizes many events that bring numerous students and parents to the Columbus Centre. These include the annual Nativity Scene exhibit at the Centre's Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, viewed by approximately 2,500 students each December, and the Festival of the Italian Language on the Columbus Centre grounds each June, where more than 2,000 TCDSB and YCDSB students celebrate the winners of an Italian-language essay contest, and perform songs and dances. The Festival is a key part of the annual Italian Heritage Month celebrations at the Columbus Centre.
 
In addition, Centro Scuola, in collaboration with the Columbus Centre, organizes movie nights, book presentations, concerts and conferences throughout the year. Villa Charities was also a proud sponsor of the Centro Scuola Christmas Concert at St. Charles Borromeo Church in December.
 
"Throughout the years, Centro Scuola has had much success celebrating the promotion of the Italian language and culture within the Columbus Centre," says Domenico Servello, Centro Scuola's Director. "We greatly value our association with the Columbus Centre and look forward to sustaining this important partnership for many years to come in a renewed facility."
 
The school's focus on Italian language and culture make it a natural fit with the Columbus Centre and the various athletic and cultural programs and events offered by the centre itself.
 
Villa Charities is proud of our long-standing relationship with Centro Scuola, which plays an important role in supporting our mission "to celebrate and promote the Italian Heritage, Culture, Language, Arts, Food, and Family Values". Both organizations have committed to continuing the relationship within the proposed redeveloped Columbus Centre.
 
The redevelopment project, in partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), provides Villa Charities with a unique opportunity to create a new and better Columbus Centre, as a premier cultural and learning destination.
 
The new intergenerational hub will continue to honour, preserve and share Italian heritage, language and culture. This will be supported by improved resources for valued community partners like Centro Scuola, as well as enhanced cultural programming, art and museum heritage displays, and state-of-the-art classrooms and studios for programs in art, music, dance and culinary arts.
 
Villa Charities is unwavering in our determination to ensure the Columbus Centre plays a critical and valuable role in Italian culture and our local community. An important part of this commitment is a continued association with Centro Scuola in a new, intergenerational centre that continues our long tradition of offering programs that bring together youth and seniors. 

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