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Press
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mayor
Bates to Kick-Off His Fourth 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 kick-off ‘Project BUILD’ on June 27th – 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 4th
Annual Project BUILD – Building Healthy Minds and Bodies. Project BUILD will provide free books, tutoring, and physical activities to approximately 1,000 young people. Over the past two years, students involved in Project BUILD read over 8,000 books and virtually traveled 100,000 miles through physical activity. UC Berkeley’s Cal Corp Public
Service Center hired 61 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. “Project
BUILD is a wonderful program that provides nearly 1,000 low-income
children with the opportunity to read, run and eat healthy,” said Mayor
Tom Bates, who created the program in 2004. “We are helping these kids
maintain their literacy skills over the summer and develop healthy eating
and exercise habits.” 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 summer program at Rosa
Parks. Through Project BUILD,
we are also able to distribute books to four preschools serving low-income
children (Centro Vida and BUSD Preschools).
Participating programs 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 Bisno Development. In
addition, Project BUILD will make use of over $250,000 in federal
work-study funding to help pay the UC tutors. A kick-off event with 400
children will take place at 11:00 on June 27th at James Kenney
Park in Berkeley. WHO: Mayor Tom Bates and other city officials UC Berkeley student tutors 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 27th 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Opening
statements at 11 a.m., followed by carnival and lunch; free book
distribution for participating youth beginning at 12:15. |
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