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Press
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAYOR
BATES TO KICK-OFF SUMMER READING AND HEALTH PROGRAM FOR 1,000 LOW-INCOME
BERKELEY KIDS
City officials, hundreds of kids, and Clifford, the Big Red Dog will be on hand to launch ‘Project BUILD’ on June 22nd – one of the most innovative youth programs in the country. Berkeley, CA – In a
major effort to strengthen literacy and reading skills among Berkeley’s
kids, Mayor Tom Bates is launching an expansion of Project BUILD –
Building Healthy Minds and Bodies. The program, which will reach 1,000 youth this summer, is a
partnership between the Mayor’s office, the University of California’s
Cal Corp Public Service Center, the UC Berkeley Graduate School of
Education and the City of Berkeley.
The entire $320,000 price tag for the program is being paid for by
UC’s federal work-study funds and private fundraising. The program will kick off
on June 22nd at Berkeley’s James Kenney Park with hundreds of
Berkeley children, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mayor Bates, and others. UC Berkeley’s Cal Corp
Public Service Center will hire approximately 60 Cal students through
America Reads Federal Work Study program to work with public school
students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
The tutors will be trained by BUSD certificated literacy
specialists, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education graduate students,
and literacy experts. This year, in addition to
addressing the issues of literacy support, Mayor Bates expanded the
program to include nutrition and physical activity.
The City’s Public Health division and UC Berkeley’s School of
Public Health will provide each school-age student and tutor with
pedometers and summer program staff will be trained to deliver programs to
support healthy lifestyles. A number of young people will also be matched with elders
from the City’s senior centers for tutoring, mentoring, companionship
and exercise. “This is one of the
most innovative programs in this country,” said Mayor Bates. “We
are building a true community partnership for our young people.
Public and private agencies rallied together and started this
amazing program that will now reach 1000 kids with literacy, nutrition and
physical activity programs.” Project BUILD will work
with eight afterschool/summer programs: two city recreation centers (James
Kenney and Francis Albrier), the Young Adult Project and three school-age
non-profit summer programs (Bahia School-age Program, Berkeley Youth
Alternatives and RISE), two school district school-age summer programs
(Washington and Rosa Parks) and four preschools (Centro Vida Preschool,
Head Start, BUSD Preschool). Participating programs will coordinate with the Berkeley
Public Library, providing library cards to all students and enrolling them
into the library’s popular Summer Reading Program. Funding for Project
BUILD – Building Healthy Minds and Bodies comes solely from
private business. Sponsors include: SBC, Bayer, Berkeley Rotary, PG&E, Alta
Bates Summit Medical Center, Wells Fargo Bank, Kaiser Permanente, Berkeley
Public Education Foundation, Berkeley Community Fund, Scholastic Books,
Children’s Book Press, Cody’s Books, Barnes & Noble, and
Transaction Companies. In
addition, Project BUILD will make use of $255,000 in federal work-study
funding to help pay the UC tutors. Media are welcome to join
the kick-off event.
WHO:
Mayor Tom Bates and other city officials,
WHAT:
Launch of Project BUILD – Building Healthy Minds and Bodies
WHERE:
James Kenney Park
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 22nd # # # |
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