Academic Enrichment Centers
An Opportunity to Invest in Children’s Literacy in North Fair Oaks, Redwood City, CA
Introduction
As most educators would agree, nothing is more foundational to academic success than the ability to read. The link, in other words, between literacy and competency in math, science and engineering is irrefutable. For this reason, developing the reading skills of elementary-age children sits at the core of our Academic Enrichment Centers (AECs). Through its Redwood City Reads program, adult volunteers become reading buddies for our young learners. From this mentoring relationship, students are supported and encouraged in the whole of their education, e.g. homework and study skills. We go further, however, by connecting the students’ families to a host of supportive and life-enriching services, including workshops or classes in nutrition, exercise, martial arts, parenting, housing and immigration. In short, through our AECs, children do not have to learn alone. You are invited to invest in their future today, through the work of Generations United.
Prioritizing Silicon Valley’s Latino Youth
Over a fourth of Silicon Valley’s 3 million residents are of Latino heritage, many from generations who settled here long before the region’s cities were incorporated. They have long played a vital role in the region’s economic prosperity and cultural vitality. Recent immigration policies at the national level have had an adverse effect on this community. Moreover, the spike in housing costs is pricing out these vulnerable families. An inequitable distribution of wealth, and a school district deficit of over $10M, has wreaked havoc on the public schools, particularly on the Latino North Fair Oaks community. A slew of consolidations and closures have sent hundreds of families scrambling. Such disruption in already difficult circumstances have made the academic challenges for our young people even greater. As Manuel Pastor, Director of the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration, reports, “the percent of the valley’s Latino students meeting the 8th grade math standards – key to the high-paying jobs of the future – is less than half the figure for all students.” And as the industry well knows, proficiency in math and science is critical to accessing employment in tech, a sector that increasingly recognizes its need for more cultural diversity. AEC’s are our response to help meet this challenge.
Funding Needs
For academic year 2019-20, we plan to run four AECs that serve North Fair Oaks and the surrounding community. Three will be connected with public school campuses (one being a charter), and the fourth with a local church in the vicinity. AEC expenses include compensation for a lead and assistant site coordinator, shuttle transportation (for the church site), program supplies, and costs associated with administration, outreach, volunteer-training, and external partnership coordination. Each site requires $50,000 to run, and with the help of private contributions and grants, we can meet our $200,000 goal.
About Generations United
Our mission is to empower Redwood City & North Fair Oaks children and their families to reach their full potential. Led by a passionate, competent staff and hundreds of volunteers, our organization promotes community, wellness, and academic success through several local initiatives. In partnership with local schools, congregations, nonprofits and corporations, we not only provide academic enrichment centers for the children, but complementary services for the entire family, including English-as-a-Second-Language, nutrition education, fitness programs, personal safety, and emergency assistance. Generations United is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, EIN# 51-0666650.
