CNBNews

 
(Elmer, NJ – July 17, 2019) Creativity CoLaboratory Charter School at Appel Farm (C3) has been granted an official charter by the New Jersey Department of Education and will open its doors to 96 middle school students in September 2019. After receiving initial approval last March, the founding team has successfully completed all necessary requirements over the past year to earn this final approval by Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. C3, New Jersey's first arts integrated middle school and a tuition-free choice for middle school students in grades 5-8, will provide a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) curriculum that integrates the arts and 21st Century Skills into personalized hands-on, project-based learning that is creative and fun.

C3 will create a nurturing and compelling learning community that engages young people, allowing them to thrive and be their best selves. Creativity CoLaboratory Founder and Appel Farm’s Executive Director, Cori Solomon, said, “I'm so grateful and proud to be a part of an initiative that champions arts education for the talented youth of south Jersey. We created a community that made this all happen, and this work will be the foundation of what we teach our students. Everything is possible when you combine your unique talents and vision of the future with a spirit of collaboration and inclusion of those around you."

Solomon and the Board are thrilled to announce that Lori Vilary, J.D., has been hired as the Principal and Director. Ms. Vilary brings eleven years of hands-on knowledge in education and school leadership to this critical role. With experience as Assistant Principal in the Cape May County Special Services School District, a coordinator and teacher for students with disabilities in Logan Township and Salem County Special Services School District, and general counsel for a corporate marketing firm, Ms. Vilary is excited to utilize her unique skill set to further the mission of C3. “I’ve been searching for an educational leadership position closer to my home in Salem County that would embrace my creativity and ability to think outside the box to individualize learning for students. I’m passionate about education and I’m driven to deliver high-quality work in a school that embraces individuality and creativity while building students’ self-confidence,” said Lori Vilary, C3 Principal. Vilary’s complete bio can be found on the C3 website www.creativitycolaboratory.org. 

The school has hired a dynamic team of teachers to deliver the arts-integrated curriculum. In alignment with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, C3 provides students with the skills and tools needed to thrive in the 21st Century - creativity, innovation, communication, collaboration - which will better prepare them for the professional world of the future.  Please contact Cori Solomon or Lori Vilary at [email protected] or call 856-358-2472 for more information. Interested families can learn more and apply online at www.creativitycolaboratory.org. The school’s next lottery will be held June 14th.  The school will be on the Appel Farm Arts & Music Campus in Elmer, New Jersey within Salem County. 
 
Appel Farm Arts & Music Campus: Since 1960, Appel Farm Arts and Music Campus has provided transformative arts and learning experiences, and has emerged as the arts education leader in South Jersey. Arts education programs on our campus at Appel Farm, in the schools, and in the community are raising the bar of arts education for children and families in our community. Appel Farm provides people of all ages, cultures and economic backgrounds with a supportive, cooperative environment in which to explore the fine and performing arts.