Press Releases

WILMINGTON, Del.  —  Today, U.S Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) announced a federal investment of $3 million for the Community Education Building (CEB) in Wilmington. Secured through the federal appropriations process, the investments will go toward capital improvements to increase capacity in the existing facility, including building a Youth Development Center. Coons and Blunt Rochester secured this funding alongside Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.).

“I am proud that we can continue to help transform this former bank into a facility that supports children, helps families, and creates jobs in Downtown Wilmington,” said Senator Carper. “This funding will go a long way to making much-needed improvements, but this is a shared responsibility between the state, community and private investment and I’m so happy to see everyone coming together for our youth.”

“Whenever we can invest in services that elevate the quality of life in our community, we should,” Senator Coons said. “Thanks to the hard work of our entire delegation, we were able to once again deliver for Delawareans in a way that will have a lasting impact on how we provide education for some of our most vulnerable and underserved youth.”

“When it comes to making critical investments across the First State, I am dedicated to working with Senators Carper and Coons to bring home funding that will uplift and empower our communities,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to have secured $3 million for the Community Education Building in Wilmington. From advancing equity in education to connecting students and families with key community partnerships and resources, CEB plays an instrumental role in ensuring this community can thrive, and I’m excited to see this funding support CEB’s vital efforts.”

"What we are creating in this building is a template for sustainable, inter-generational education, that will surely enhance the city of Wilmington and that can be reiterated throughout our nation,” said Linda Jennings, CEO of the Community Education Building. “I am grateful to our congressional delegation of Senators Carper and Coons and Representative Blunt Rochester for securing this funding to help us in our efforts."

The Community Education Building supports families and students through authentic, comprehensive collaboration across a wide-ranging network of partners within the building and the larger Wilmington community. Today, CEB houses four schools serving over 1,500 kindergarten through college age students. Specifically, the federal funding secured by the congressional delegation, will go toward building additional capacity for CEB’s programs including investing in students’ education, community support efforts, reduction in youth violence programing, and creating a workforce pipeline for youth and adults. Capital improvements to the building include improvements to its HVAC system, Fire Suppression System, elevator entrances, outdoor lot, and lobby.

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