LEWISTON — Children and families of Sandcastle Preschool of Lewiston, and others who are interested, are invited to a community night of multicultural food, fun, music and art Friday.

A Family Celebration will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Lewiston Multi-Purpose Center.

The event will bring together children and families of Sandcastle Preschool Foundation, University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn College students, and some of their families, faculty, service providers, and Maine College of Art artist Chirstina Beckstein. It is free and family-friendly.

The get-together will launch the “Building Castles Together Project,” funded by a $25,500 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to the college, said Michelle Vazquez Jacobus, Service Learning coordinator and assistant professor at the college.

In the next year more activities will follow. The grant will allow college students and providers to work with families in need, helping them build resiliency and improve services.

Some of the Sandcastle preschoolers are typical children, others have disabilities, and others are the children of refugees, mostly Somali.

The program is not a new one just for immigrants, but for all families in need at the preschool program, Jacobus said.

“It’s aimed to reach the increasing diverse Lewiston population. We’re trying to work through children to build relations with families in the community,” she said.

When children are disabled, or their parents have different cultures and languages, there are challenges in understanding, Jacobus said.

“We’re trying to find many ways to communicate with each other,” including art.

The overall goal is to build community by building trust. That will improve existing services to those in need, she said, “and that will make our community stronger.”

The Family Celebration at the Lewiston Multi-Purpose Center on Friday night will use food, art and conversation to build community of Sandcastle Preschool students and families.