MANCHESTER, NH – School is out for the summer in the Queen City and the Manchester Board of School Committee (BOSC) is about to slow down for the summer as well, but not before a presentation on a new concept that will welcome back students and families when they return in the fall.
During their meeting on Monday, June 24, the BOSC will receive a presentation on the new “Welcome Center” to be located inside the French Building at 148 Concord St., once used by New England College’s New Hampshire Institute of Art and just a few hundred feet away from the Manchester City Library.
The facility is expected to have large areas for programs and classes as well as smaller spaces for more personal discussions. Staffing will include a variety of administrators, liaisons, community partner volunteers and other individuals assigned with helping students and families with a variety of topics such as meal services, student IDs, multilingual support, homeless student services and more.
Although an opening date for the facility is not determined yet, the center’s expected hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, with the center open for two Saturdays a month once the school year begins.
New England College has been seeking greater collaboration with the community in the French Building since they began to divest their presence in downtown Manchester during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funding for the Welcoming Center comes from Gear Up 2.0, and is in place for five years. A grand opening event is expected to be announced some time in the near future.