 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 TEL: (510) 981-7100, FAX: (510) 981-7199, TDD: (510) 981-6903 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Email: mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us |
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Press
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune
19, 2006 Mayor
Bates to Kick-Off His Third Annual 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 21st – one of the most innovative
youth programs in the country. Berkeley, CA – In a major effort
to improve literacy, nutrition, and physical activity among Berkeley’s
kids, Mayor Tom Bates, the University of California’s Cal Corp Public
Service Center, and the City of Berkeley are launching the 3rd
Annual Project BUILD – Building Healthy Minds and Bodies. Project BUILD will provide free books, tutoring, and physical activities to approximately 1,000 young people. Last year, the students involved in Project BUILD read over 4400 books and virtually traveled 65,000 miles through physical activity. UC Berkeley’s Cal Corp Public
Service Center will hire approximately 70 Cal students through America
Reads Federal Work Study program to work with students in kindergarten
through 8th grade. Literacy
specialists and City of Berkeley Public Health physical activity
specialists will train the tutors. The
City’s Public Health division will provide each school-age student and
tutor with pedometers and summer program staff will be trained to deliver
programs to support healthy lifestyles. “Instead
of staying home and watching television or playing video games, we have
kids running, reading and eating healthy,” said Mayor Tom Bates, who
created the program in 2004. “This is a hands-on program to promote
enjoyment of reading and to combat the obesity epidemic by developing
health eating and physical activity habits.
We know that kids who do not read and practice math over the summer
fall behind their peers.” Project BUILD will work with eight
school-age summer programs: three city recreation centers (James Kenny,
Francis Albrier and Live Oak), the Young Adult Project, three school-age
non-profit summer programs (Bahia School-age Program, Berkeley Youth
Alternatives and RISE), and a school district run summer program at Rosa
Parks, as well as four preschools serving low-income children (Centro Vida
and BUSD Preschools). 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: AT&T, Bayer, Berkeley, PG&E, Alta
Bates Summit Medical Center, Wells Fargo Bank, Kaiser Permanente, Berkeley
Public Education Foundation, Scholastic Books, Children’s Book Press,
and Library Gardens Apartments. In
addition, Project BUILD will make use of $255,000 in federal work-study
funding to help pay the UC tutors. A kick-off event with 400
children will take place at 11 a.m. on June 21st at James
Kenney Park in Berkeley. WHO: Mayor Tom Bates and other city officials Hundreds of Berkeley children
Clifford the Big Red Dog
WHAT:
Launch of Project BUILD – Building Healthy Minds and Bodies WHERE: James Kenney Park
8th Street and Delaware,
Berkeley WHEN: Wednesday, June 21st 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. |
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