The Junior League of Columbus is a women’s empowerment organization with deep roots in Central Ohio. The organization’s mission over the past 100 years has been to promote volunteerism, develop the potential of members for voluntary participation in community affairs, and demonstrate the effectiveness of those trained volunteers. For decades, members have leveraged monetary contributions and volunteer hours to effect lasting change across the Columbus community.

The Junior League began in 1901 in New York City, when two women named Mary Harriman and Nathelie Henderson recruited 80 debutantes to volunteer at settlement houses. As these women served the community with their time, knowledge, and skills, they were also learning about the diverse city and the needs of its residents– especially recent immigrants who were facing poverty, disease, and unsafe housing. By 1921, women had organized similar Leagues in 30 cities across the United States, and they came together to found the Association of the Junior Leagues of America, Inc. 

The following year, 11 women gathered to discuss the formation of a Junior League in Columbus. In 1923, the Junior League of Columbus, composed of 100 women, officially joined the Association of Junior Leagues of America. Each member was expected to work two hours each week in one of nine existing social services agencies, while also contributing to fundraising activities. Interestingly, one of these founding members was Dorothy Walker Bush, the mother of former President George W. Bush. 

Below are past projects in which the Junior League of Columbus was involved.

Adopt-a-Backpack for Children (ABC) Project

Started by the 1999/2000 Junior League of Columbus Provisional class, the Adopt a Backpack for Children (ABC program) awards backpacks filled with school supplies to students who participated in the Village to Child program. Since its start in 1999, the Adopt-a-Backpack for Children Project has do-nated more than 21,800 brand new backpacks full of school supplies to Columbus-area students. Adopt-A-Backpack ensures that low-income students have the necessary school supplies to come to school prepared to learn.

ACTION FOR CHILDREN

Action for Children is an advocate for children and their needs,  a coordinating body for information about children’s services, and provider of services.

Services are available to all residents of Franklin County: Child Care Counseling, Parent/Child Care Provider Workshops, Child and Environment Brochure Series, The Action for Children Resource Guide to Columbus, Emergency Child Care, Information and Referral, Childhood Resource Center, USDA Child Care Food Program, Job Bank, Speakers’ Bureau, Reading Is Fundamental Program, Corporate Child Care Consultation, Registration of Child Care Home Providers, Directory of All Licensed Child Care Centers

ARTIST-IN-SCHOOLS

During the 1970s, Junior League members and Columbus educators worked on a program called Arts Impact and won national assistance and recognition. It was evident that federally funded artist residency programs in the elementary schools in Columbus were few. Art groups were not selling their programs to the community and had not considered going into the schools. Funding was necessary to bring more professional and competent amateur artists into more schools. The program was called Artists-in-Schools and initial funding was contributed by the City of Columbus, the Columbus Foundation, the Battelle Memorial Institute Foundation, and the Junior League of Columbus.

In 1976, Junior League project funds totaling $7500.00 were approved to partially underwrite the Artist-in-Schools Program, and it quickly became a vital part of the Greater Columbus Arts Council programs. Artists offer presentations in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, literature, film/ photography, and architecture.

Today, the financial commitment on the part of the participating schools has been so great that most schools can manage the financial responsibility without relying on funds from the program. Last year Artist-in-Schools launched AIS II, a pilot effort to make the artist’s visit a real element of curriculum planning. The participating schools share in the programming responsibility.

C.A.L.L.

Junior League of Columbus has a history of supporting information and referral in the Columbus area. As early as 1958, the League provided $1,300 over a five-year period to the Community Information Exchange. From 1965-68, a total of $15,000 was allocated to the Columbus Area Information Center. C.A.L.L. Franklin County’s present telephone information and referral service has been the most recent recipient of Junior League’s support. Beginning in 1972 as an experimental service, its success in helping consumers and service providers easily locate services led to incorporation in 1973 as the Community Information and Referral Service, Inc. In March 1974, they submitted a proposal for funding to Junior League and received $10,000. With the increased financial support, the agency was able to begin 24-hour telephone coverage and C.A.L.L. became their publicly-promoted name. C.A.L.L. stands for Caring … Answering … Listening . . . Linking.

C.A.L.L. has grown tremendously. The volume of calls has increased from approximately 500 per month as of January of 1974 to over 6,700 per month by January of 1983. While the basic work continues to be information and referral, there have been several special services to the community including: a Language Bank for non-English speaking persons, TTY (teletype) services to relay and· place calls for the hearing impaired; the Tele­-A-Friend network of volunteers who make daily contact with home-bound senior citizens; afterhours telephone answering services for other human service agencies; and the county’s main referral center in time of community crisis.

Along with C.A.L.L.’s growth has come an increased involvement in activity seeking ways to solve unmet service needs. In this area, too, there has been cooperation between Junior League and C.A.L.L. Two most recent examples are the United Way Emergency Program and the Skills Bank, a program developed to match volunteer interests and skill with the needs of non-profit organizations in Columbus.

Today, C.A.L.L. is recognized as one of the leading information and referral services in the country, and it continues to seek ways to improve its services to benefit the community.

CORRS

In 1979, eight women proposed a Junior League project to aid the Central Ohio Radio Reading Service (CORRS). CORRS is a radio station carried on a frequency heard on a special receiver for print handicapped persons, people who cannot read for any physical reason. It provides daily readings of local newspapers and magazines.
The project was twofold: outreach and volunteer recruitment. $4,614 was allocated by Junior League of Columbus, Ohio for the project.
For the first phase, a Speakers’ Bureau was set up and a slide show was put together for speakers to use. Newsletters were printed and sent to potential funders and users. Both the Speakers’ Bureau and newsletter campaign were very successful. The newsletter format and availability was especially useful in explaining CORRS to new people.

COURT WATCHING PROJECT, INC.

Court Watching Project, Inc. is a non-profit citizens’ organization which was conceived in 1973 solely for the purpose of court watching. The goals of the organization are to educate the public about the courts and to improve the court system through citizen involvement.

Court Watching Project, Inc. undertook a court watching study in 1979 to gain a broader community perspective on the entire county court system and follow up on the two previous studies of Franklin County Municipal Court. This study was prompted by the intense community interest in Juvenile Court. To increase the value of the educational experience for observers, it was decided that observations should take place in the Juvenile, Municipal and Common Pleas Courts to compare the court process for juveniles and adults.

The project was funded by a group of organizations including the Junior League of Columbus. Court Watching Project, Inc. is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Five community groups are affiliated with the Project and have representatives serving on the Board of Directors.

A total of 144 volunteers participated in the Project: 116 as court observers and 28 in other volunteer activities.

COLUMBUS LANDMARKS FOUNDATION

The Columbus Landmarks Foundation was formed in 1977 as a non-profit corporation. As Columbus’ only non-profit city-wide membership organization dedicated to historic preservation, Landmarks encourages the careful reuse of the city’s significant architecture as well as the integration of compatible new design into older areas. It also advocates high-quality new design throughout the city.

Landmarks’ efforts were all volunteer until 1979 when members of Junior League recognized the need to provide professional staffing for the Landmarks office and a Task Force proposed a $15,000 grant to hire an executive director for one year.

One of the major accomplishments of CLF was the adoption by City Council of Landmarks’ legislation creating the Columbus Historic Resources Commission in 1980. The Historic Resources Commission is part of the Columbus Department of Development and has a full-time architectural historian to assist the Commission in listing properties which are appropriate for the Columbus Register of Historic Properties thus insuring some minimum protection for those buildings and areas.

Landmarks has also operated a revolving fund which involved purchasing dilapidated houses on the near east side and then rehabilitating them for resale to low and moderate income residents of the neighborhood.

CLF has been involved in many projects over the last six years-several of which are ongoing like the Deaf School site, the Southern Hotel & Theatre and the North Market area.
Through volunteer and staff efforts Landmarks has provided technical assistance on rehabilitation projects, tours of the city and seminars on restoration of Columbus’ vintage homes.

In cooperation with Lazarus, a series of educational opportunities was presented for school children last year during Preservation Week. In addition, Landmarks sponsored many lectures on different aspects of the built environment in and around Columbus.

The Junior League has played a major role in the success of the Landmarks Foundation through its experienced volunteers and its community dollars.

COLUMBUS JUNIOR THEATER (Columbus Children’s Theatre)

CCT celebrates 60+ years of excellence serving over 85,000 individuals. CCT looks to a future of growth allowing for more in-house production for and by all ages. This growth began by expansion of the Senior High program with The Skin of Our Teeth. One goal being pursued is to combine the functions as a school and as a children’s theatre, improving the technical capacity of the facility for production and hands-on training, as well as increasing CCT’s recognition as an important educational resource for children and cultural facility for all ages. The part-time staff continues to increase with an Education Director, technicians, and consultants and instructors in all areas of the performing arts, as well as university interns teaching and learning with CCT.

Cultural Arts Day brings busloads of school children to attend a performance by a professional children’s theater company at the Ohio Theater and then to visit one other cultural institution in Columbus. In five years the program has grown from 6,000 participating students to 13,000.

DAHLBERG LEARNING CENTER

During the spring of 1982 a cooperative effort began between the Junior League and the Friends of Dahlberg Center (formerly the ADD Day Care Center). The Dahlberg Center provides day care service for children ages 2 to 6 with developmental disabilities.

The Junior League Project was developed with two major purposes: to enrich the programs of the Dahlberg Center and to increase public awareness of Dahlberg philosophy. The project objectives included upgrading volunteer opportunities and enhancing the physical therapy program with additional adaptive equipment.

As a result of the project, five specialized volunteer positions have been developed in the areas of occupational therapy, art enrichment, music enrichment, learning disabilities, and physical therapy. The Junior League grant of $8,343 has allowed for the purchase of adaptive physical therapy equipment, art program materials, music supplies, and public relations materials.

GREATER COLUMBUS ARTS COUNCIL

The story of the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) begins with the city’s first Columbus Arts Festival in 1962, held on the Ohio Statehouse lawn. The Festival was a collaborative effort led by the Junior League of Columbus and the Downtown Action Committee to create a community arts calendar and celebrate local talent. From that success, the Columbus Arts Council was established to coordinate arts activities citywide.

When the original council became inactive, the Greater Columbus Arts Council was formally founded in 1973 by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce to continue the work of supporting and expanding the arts in Central Ohio. The Junior League’s early leadership and financial investment provided the foundation for this long-standing partnership between civic engagement and the arts.

Over the past decade, Columbus has experienced a remarkable period of artistic growth—progress that many cities achieve only over generations. New performing companies have formed, arts facilities have expanded, and more artists and cultural leaders are choosing Central Ohio as their professional home. Important works of public art continue to enrich the city’s landscape, reflecting a thriving creative community.

To sustain and strengthen that growth, GCAC provides the professional arts leadership Columbus needs—linking artists and arts organizations with government, business, schools, foundations, media, and the volunteer and tourism sectors. Its mission is to plan strategically, provide resources, and advocate for the arts through a broad range of programs in grantmaking, management assistance, promotion, and public art.

Today, GCAC continues to produce the annual Columbus Arts Festival, administer millions of dollars in grants to artists and organizations, and lead initiatives such as Greater Columbus. Greater Art., the city’s first comprehensive public art plan—ensuring the arts remain a vibrant and vital part of life in Central Ohio.

THE ART OF POSITIVE PARENTING

Created in 1978 by local parent-educator Mickey Tobin, The Art of Positive Parenting (TAPP) curriculum teaches parents communication skills related to “positive parenting” to be used in all phases of raising children. In 2005, the JLC began a partnership with Action for Children and TAPP, through which the Junior League of Columbus provides trained volunteer instructors to teach the 6-week TAPP class to at-risk parents in the Columbus area free of charge. Families who practice positive communication skills find greater enjoyment and more successful ways of navigating the difficult times, with the goal to
create a healthy, mutually respectful family environment.

THE BOARD DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

In May 1982, the Board Development Network (BDN) was established with funding from the Columbus Foundation to strengthen the effectiveness of nonprofit boards in the Columbus metropolitan area. The program offered seminars, resources, and one-on-one consulting, matching trained volunteer consultants with boards in need of expertise in areas such as fundraising, long-range planning, and board development.

The Junior League of Columbus was instrumental in the early years of the BDN, providing secretarial and technical support and serving as its fiscal agent. Through this partnership, the League helped ensure that community boards across the region received the guidance and resources necessary to govern effectively, leaving a lasting impact on the city’s nonprofit sector.

THE CHILDHOOD LEAGUE CENTER

The Childhood League Center, an early education center for children with special needs, congratulates The Junior League of Columbus on its 60th Anniversary.

Junior League volunteers and projects funds have helped The Childhood League develop a program designed to provide evaluations, developmental activities and therapeutic services for young children with developmental disabilities.

THE CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

In the 1950s, the Junior League of Columbus recognized an urgent need for accessible mental health services for children in the community. Responding to that need, the League founded The Children’s Mental Health Center and provided a grant of $72,600 to support its establishment and operations. Over the next decade, League members volunteered their time and expertise to help the Center grow and serve local families. The project marked a pivotal moment in expanding mental health awareness and care for young people in Central Ohio—reflecting the League’s enduring commitment to advancing the well-being of children through volunteer action and community leadership.

THE COLUMBUS ZOO

In 1973, Junior League volunteers who were part of a small Zoo Docent Program recognized the need for educational outreach. The Junior League developed and approved a project for $5,200 and volunteer support to establish and fund the position of Education Curator.

Today, education is a major program area of the zoo, and through education, the other major purposes of the Columbus Zoo – conservation, research and recreation are enhanced. The Docent Program has grown to include 175 docent, some of whom are Lague members. Docents give tours, present educational programs in the schools and Jr. Docents of Zoo Aides, help out at the Zoo during the summer. The Educational Building was opened in 1981 and there are currently three full-time staff members and ten seasonal staff members.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

National History
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement began in 1977 when Seattle Superior Court Judge David Soukup sought a better way to make informed decisions for abused and neglected children. Recognizing the need for more information and advocacy in the courtroom, he recruited community volunteers to speak up for children’s best interests. Fifty citizens answered the call—launching what would become a nationwide movement.

Today, more than 96,000 CASA volunteers serve through 950+ programs across the United States. While the programs may operate under different names—such as Guardian ad Litem, Child Advocates, or Voices for Children—they all share the same mission: to ensure every child has a voice in court and a chance for a safe, permanent home.

Franklin County History
Founded in 1991, CASA of Franklin County began as a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Junior League of Columbus played a pivotal role in its creation, providing the initial funding, leadership, and volunteer support needed to establish the program. Guided by a shared commitment to child welfare and advocacy, this collaboration laid the foundation for what would become a vital community resource.

Over the years, CASA of Franklin County has continued to expand its reach and impact. In 2020, the organization merged with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs, strengthening its ability to serve children and families in need while ensuring continued support for volunteer advocates who make a difference every day.

CITY KIDS

A program of the Columbus Landmarks Foundation. The purpose of the project was to develop a tour and educational program aimed at Children and adolescents to acquaint them with Downtown Columbus landmarks. Junior League provided both volunteers to develop programs and assets in the tours and funds to get the program rolling.

Center for New Directions & New Directions Career Center

Founded in 1980, the Center for New Directions was established to support displaced homemakers—women who, due to death, divorce, separation, or abandonment, suddenly found themselves as single heads of household. The Center provided a lifeline for women in transition, offering career and education counseling, guidance for adapting to new lifestyles, and a supportive peer network that fostered personal growth and resilience.

Operating from its offices on Jefferson Avenue, the Center helped hundreds of Franklin County women move from financial and emotional dependency to self-sufficiency. Follow-up studies from its early years showed that 63% of graduates secured employment and another 24% pursued further education or training—an impressive measure of success for a pioneering program of its time.

The Junior League of Columbus played an instrumental role in the development and success of the Center for New Directions, contributing financial support, volunteer leadership, and community advocacy. In 1984, the League co-sponsored the first Ohio Displaced Homemaker Convention, which united service providers, advocates, and women from across the state to build stronger networks and resources for single heads of household.

Over time, the Center evolved to meet the changing needs of women in the workforce and became known as the New Directions Career Center (NDCC). Today, NDCC continues its mission to help women and career changers achieve economic self-sufficiency and confidence through professional development programs, individualized career counseling, and leadership training. More than four decades later, the Center’s legacy—rooted in partnership with the Junior League of Columbus—continues to empower women to take charge of their futures and build sustainable careers.

Central Volunteer Service Bureau – Foundation of FirstLink

In 1936, the Junior League of Columbus organized the Central Volunteer Service Bureau, a pioneering effort to coordinate and support volunteerism throughout the city. This bureau served as a central hub, training, placing, and supervising individuals who dedicated their time to helping local organizations and community initiatives. By providing structure and guidance for volunteers, the Bureau ensured that both volunteers and the organizations they served could have the greatest impact.

The Central Volunteer Service Bureau laid the groundwork for what is today known as FirstLink, continuing the Junior League’s legacy of fostering community engagement and supporting social service programs across Columbus. Through this initiative, the League helped professionalize volunteer coordination, creating a model that has endured for decades and continues to strengthen local nonprofits and community efforts.

FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY

The lovely old Franklin Park Conservatory, located in the heart of almost one hundred acres of park land on East Broad Street, was constructed in 1895. In the early sixties and seventies, this historically registered landmark experienced a great deal of neglect and abuse. In 1977, however, two important events occurred: Director of Recreation and Parks M. B. Dodge garnered almost $500,000 in renovation monies, and the Junior League formed a task force of ten people to explore ways to raise money and volunteers for the Conservatory.

In the spring of 1978, the League granted the sum of $13,000 to the newly incorporated Franklin Park Volunteers to open a small income-earning gift shop and to pay a volunteer gift shop manager for 10 hours a week to run it.

In five years, the volunteer group has grown to approximately 125 people. Franklin Park Volunteers, while it has many League members, is comprised of people from all areas of the community. The gift shop grosses approximately $100,000 annually, and Volunteers have a full time gift shop manager, and a full time greenhouse captain.

PRO-MOM

Pro-Mom was a course developed by mothers for mothers, designed to provide expert advice, ideas for play activities with infants and toddlers, and opportunities for dialogue among new mothers.

Started in 1980 by two Junior League of Columbus members, the program grew from a single series of lectures on infant development into two courses—an Infant Course and a Toddler Class—offered in neighborhoods including Bexley, Clintonville, and Upper Arlington. Over the years, the series was repeated 11 times, reaching many local families.

While Pro-Mom is no longer active, it remains an important part of the Junior League of Columbus’s history of supporting mothers, providing community education, and offering volunteer opportunities to its members.

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

In 2006, the Junior League of Columbus has led the Kids in the Kitchen initiative, created to address childhood obesity by educating families about healthy eating and physical activity. The program began in April 2006 in partnership with Whole Foods, offering a day of interactive, health-focused activities for children and their caregivers. Events featured celebrity chefs, child-led taste tests, healthy tastings throughout the store, and a farmers market designed to engage young participants.

Implemented as part of an Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) initiative, Kids in the Kitchen became a League-wide effort to equip communities with resources to combat childhood obesity and poor nutrition. Over the years, Junior League volunteers have played a central role in planning and executing the program, coordinating lessons and demonstrations, developing educational materials, partnering with local chefs and organizations, and managing volunteer and public relations efforts. Today, the initiative reaches hundreds of children and families each year, promoting hands-on learning about nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Kids on the Block is a longstanding educational program sponsored jointly by the Junior League of Columbus and the League Against Child Abuse. Designed for children ages 5 to 10, the project uses life-sized puppets to teach about physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect in a safe and non-threatening way. The performances employ the traditional puppetry technique known as Bunraku, in which puppeteers dressed in black remain fully visible to the audience, allowing children to focus on the message while maintaining a sense of safety.

In addition to performances, the program provides in-service training for teachers and classroom follow-up materials to reinforce learning and create supportive environments for discussion. Over 30 volunteers contribute to the program, with more than half coming from the Junior League of Columbus, who coordinate performances, engage with children, and assist with educational programming. Over the years, Kids on the Block has reached thousands of children in Central Ohio, helping them understand personal safety, respect, and healthy boundaries while promoting community awareness around child abuse prevention.

JUmP Junior League

Launched in 1988, JUMP! was created and implemented by members of the Junior League of Columbus to empower middle school girls to reach their full potential through leadership development and service learning. The program engaged students in a series of interactive initiatives, including JUMP! Into Leadership, JUMP! Into Community Service, HOOPS, Village to Child (in partnership with Ohio Dominican College), and the ABC Project.

Through JUMP! Into Leadership Together, participants and Junior League members explored topics that encouraged self-confidence, teamwork, and recognition of their intellectual and creative strengths. The program culminated with students planning and executing their own community service projects, reinforcing the values of leadership, civic engagement, and personal growth.

JUMP! Into Community Service

Established as a continuation of the JUMP! Into Leadership program, JUMP! Into Community Service was developed to help graduates apply the leadership skills they gained through meaningful volunteerism and hands-on community engagement. The program provided enrichment opportunities that encouraged participants to translate knowledge into action by serving others and strengthening their communities.

Held from October through June, the program consisted of nine sessions, each focused on a direct service experience. Junior League members worked alongside the Junior Leader graduates on volunteer projects benefiting organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Childhood League Center, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Holy Family Soup Kitchen, Rosemont Center, and the Franklin County Animal Shelter, among others.

The Junior Leaders program itself was a leadership development initiative for middle school girls, jointly sponsored by the Junior League of Columbus and the Educational Council’s LEADER Institute. Each year, Junior League members recruited middle school participants from across Columbus to take part in Saturday morning sessions centered on teamwork, confidence-building, and the essential skills of community leadership.

Together, JUMP! Into Leadership and JUMP! Into Community Service reflected the Junior League of Columbus’s enduring commitment to developing young women as capable, compassionate leaders dedicated to making a difference in their community.

HOOPS! BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Launched in 2000 in collaboration with former WNBA player Valerie Still and the Valerie Still Foundation, the HOOPS! Basketball Tournament and Clinic provided middle-school girls with the opportunity to develop new skills, build confidence, and gain a positive outlook through sports and supportive adult mentorship.

The one-day event brought together up to 150 girls and their adult advocates for skill-building clinics, inspirational talks on self-esteem and motivation, and a double-elimination tournament. Awards and certificates recognized participants’ efforts and achievements.

Research shows that girls who participate in sports are less likely to engage in negative behaviors such as drug or alcohol use. By combining athletic training with mentorship, the Junior League of Columbus created a safe and empowering environment that fostered confidence, teamwork, and healthy decision-making.

This program is no longer active, but it remains an important part of the Junior League’s history of supporting youth development and community engagement.

Ohio Dominican College’s Village To Child

Project Lead

Project Lead is a volunteer and leadership training program design to help high school students develop leadership skills and a commitment to volunteerism. The Lead program is a national effort co-sponsored by the Association Junior Leagues and the Quest National Center. The Columbus effort has been active in Dublin and Hilliard high schools and is involved Junior League volunteers as group leaders. The students plan a project for the community and solicit volunteers to assist in the implementation. In 1994-1995, the Project Lead group from Dublin expanded their efforts to include participation in the weatherbeater project.

Operation Weatherbeater  involved approximately 150 Junior Leaguers, their families and friends and winterizing homes of elderly and handicapped in the Downtown Columbus area. In collaboration with the Corporation with the Department of Human Services, which supplied the materials and names of the clients, the league weatherized 48 homes. League members gathered at the counting-house for doughnuts, coffee and training and then weatherized the homes with plastic sheeting and weatherstripping. Lunch was provided by G. D. Ritzy’s and Kathleen Foo.

Center for Child and Family Advocacy

The Center for Child and Family Advocacy is a joint sponsorship between the Columbus Coalition against Domestic Violence and the Children’s Hospital of Columbus. The Center is the first in the country to fully integrate child abuse and domestic violence services, offering a Continuum of support for victims. The Junior League of Columbus supports the work of the center by providing volunteer companions for the families who visit the center, preparing busy bags for the children, and providing kids in the court program volunteers. The Junior League donates snacks, clothing, and other items needed to make families’ visit to the center as comfortable as possible. Additionally, Junior League members volunteer at events staged by the community organization to benefit the Coalition of the center.

KELTON HOUSE MUSEUM & GARDEN

Established by the Junior League in 1976, the Kelton House Museum & Garden, located in the Town Street Historic District, interprets urban life and the decorative arts during the second half of the 19th century. Reflecting the culturally diverse nature of the past and the present, the Museum preserves and develops its facility and collection, interprets local history, educates the community and trains volunteers.

Underground Railroad Learning Station 

The Kelton HouseMuseum, a documented stop on the Underground Railroad, created the Underground Railroad Learning Station in 2002, thanks in part to the support of the Junior League of Columbus. The program offers interactive presentations that explore the abolitionist movement and the experiences of escaped slaves, as well as the individuals who risked their lives to help them. Each year, thousands of schoolchildren and adults visit the Learning Station to engage with this critical piece of history.

The Learning Station highlights the Kelton House as a historical hiding place for fugitive slaves and features immersive reenactments of life during the era of slavery. The drama “Martha’s Journey” brings to life the story of Martha Hartway and her sister Pearl, who escaped from Virginia and found refuge with the Kelton family. Through first-person storytelling, visitors experience the perspectives of both fugitives and the children of those who assisted them. The living history presentations are designed to engage the senses—allowing visitors to hear, see, smell, and feel the risks faced by both the fugitives and those who aided them—creating a vivid, memorable understanding of the courage and challenges of the Underground Railroad.

The Junior League of Columbus continues to play a vital role in supporting the Learning Station, helping to educate the community about this important chapter in American history.

Girl Scout Patch Project 

The Girl Scout Patch Project invites Girl Scouts and their leaders to the Kelton House for a Victorian tea, docent-led museum tour, and hands-on historical crafts. The program provides insight into the lives of women and girls during the Victorian era. Supported by the Junior League of Columbus, volunteers help lead activities and tours, fostering education, leadership, and community engagement for young girls.

Children’s Hospital, Inc Reach Out and Read

Reach Out and Read is a national program dedicated to fostering the development of early literacy skills among children as a standard part of pediatric primary care. Through Reach Out and Read, pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners give parents or caregivers of children ages 6 months to 5 years age-appropriate children’s books and suggestions on how to help their children develop a love of books and reading. Beginning in 2006, JLC members will provide volunteer, financial and evaluative support for the Reach Out and Read program.

SPAC (State Public Affairs Committee)

The State Public Affairs Committee (SPAC) of the Junior Leagues of Ohio, founded in 1942, is comprised of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Stark County, Toledo, and Youngstown. It serves as the advocacy arm of the state’s Leagues, beginning with its endorsement of a bill concerning the licensing of Practical Nurses. SPAC is a nonpartisan group dedicated to monitoring Ohio’s legislative process, addressing statewide issues, and providing advocacy training for Junior League volunteers. Delegates from all member Leagues—including the Junior League of Columbus—come together to amplify their voices and drive meaningful change. Focused on education, the exchange of ideas, and advocacy, SPAC informs communities, engages with policymakers, and equips volunteers to take direct action, advancing policies that positively impact Ohio while furthering the mission of the Junior League.

The English House

Built in 1904 and part of the Historical Discovery District, the English House located at 583 Franklin Avenue is one of the Kelton Family properties owned by the Columbus Foundation. In 1976, the House was dedicated to Junior League of Columbus friends Marian and Walter English and was entrusted to the JLC along with the Kelton House. At that time, the JLC made commitments for restoration, fundraising and Junior League offices. Today, English House serves as the operations center for all League projects and is a vital part of our ability to improve the Columbus community. With the continued revitalization of the East Town Street area, the English House now more than ever has begun to show its age among other properties on the street. The English House is both an important part of the Junior League of Columbus’ history and a necessity for its future.

QUICK IMPACT PROJECTS