Members from entire community have pitched in to make Literacy Weeks a success
Over the past few years, United Way of the Bay Area has focused on new approach to helping children which has been proven to raise test scores and attendance rates in some of the area’s toughest neighborhoods. Called Community School Partnerships, this program brings all kinds of great opportunities and services inside the school building, where the kids and families go anyway, so they’re easy to use. It helps kids do better in school, participate in arts and sports, and get health care. It also helps parents get health care, get jobs and pick up fresh healthy food.
Since the spring of 2009, Belle Haven Community School -one of our partners in this project- has hosted three Literacy Weeks and four Family Literacy Nights. Literacy Week is a time where the whole school (K-8) focuses on literacy and the importance of reading comprehension. The goal is for students to develop a love of, as well as a discipline for, reading.
Throughout Literacy Week guests from the community read to the younger grades (K-5). Guest readers include members of the business community, college students and even officers from the Menlo Park Police Department.
Embedded within Literacy Week is a special night where families are invited to come to the school and participate in workshops where they learn games and strategies on how to promote literacy at home. The workshops are taught by Belle Haven teachers so it offers the parents an opportunity interact directly with their child’s teacher. As a bonus every family is able to leave with a free book.
These “Family Literacy Nights” are well attended by parents of all grade levels and with are also supported by the Palo Alto University Rotary. Belle Haven, with the support of United Way of the Bay Area, has done a total of four Literacy Nights and the success of these programs is sparking thoughts about adding a Family Math Night for the coming school year.
You can be a part of the ongoing change that is helping young people across the Bay Area. On April 10th we’re having a fundraising event to help support our Community School Partnership. Going All in For Bay Area Youth is hosted by United Way’s Emerging Leaders and is a casino night themed event with 100% the proceeds going support our work at community schools across the Bay Area. Visit the Emerging Leaders page for more information!
