A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Samples of America Reads Challenge National Service Initiatives

CALIFORNIA

BOOKS AND BEYOND
America Reads Contact:Beth Pickett
305 N. Rios Avenue
Solana Beach, CA
E-mail: bpickett@sbsd.k12.ca.us Internet Address: http://www.booksandbeyond.org
Telephone: (858) 755-3824 Fax: (858) 755-0449

Participation: Developed in 1979, under the auspices of the Solana Beach School District in California, BOOKS and BEYOND is part of the U. S. Department of Education's National Diffusion Network (NDN) and is recognized as an outstanding educational model that helps break the growing pattern of illiteracy. Using a combination of federal, state and private funding, BOOKS and BEYOND currently impacts over 2.5 million children and their families. Most importantly, BOOKS and BEYOND works-in all kinds of schools-with all kinds of students. Proven effective and easily adaptable, it has been successfully used in over 5,000 school sites. BOOKS and BEYOND is a reading incentive program created specifically to improve attitudes towards reading and to foster a love of books. Designed to help each and every child enjoy positive recreational reading experiences, BOOKS and BEYOND provides strategies that help teachers and schools create an exciting atmosphere where reading is the "in" thing to do. Parents are an integral part of Books and Beyond and are encouraged to read aloud to their children and to build home literacy behaviors. In addition, a television viewing component helps students and their parents become more aware of their TV habits.

EAST BAY CONSERVATION CORPS
America Reads Contact: Risha Hess
1021 Third Street
Oakland, CA
E-mail: amcoread@aol.com Internet Address: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/1363
Telephone: (510) 208-6171 Fax: (510) 208-6147

Participation: East Bay Conservation Corps is a non-profit in Oakland who teamed up in 1998 with the Oakland Unified School District to create an after-school literacy tutoring program. We have gotten support from several organizations throughout the Bay Area including Childhood Development Centers, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps*VISTA, Merritt College, CalState Hayward, Mills College, San Francisco Giants, Bay Area Writing Project, Oakland Public Libraries and many others.

Tutoring: We hire volunteer and paid tutors to provide after-school tutoring in 13 Oakland Unified Elementary Schools. We provide orientation and on-going monthly training. We currently have over 50 tutors who include students, seniors, parents and 130 AmeriCorps members.

FRESNO READS - STONE SOUP
America Reads Contact: Cathey Withrow
5191 N Sixth St.
Fresno, CA
E-mail: Fresno8169@aol.com
Telephone: (209) 224-7060 Fax: (209) 224-2981

Participation: Stone Soup is a community based organization that is bustling with activity. We provide literacy, dental, and health services to the El Dorado Park community in Fresno. Our current goal is to celebrate this ever healthier community. We exist due to the work of volunteers, private donations and grants.

Tutoring: A very small, but integral part of Stone Soup, is the Fresno READS program. Stone Soup, in conjunction with Fresno Unified and CSU Fresno, helps place approximately 20 university Federal Workstudy students, mentors, with needy families. We try to target large families with children who fall in the range of K-3; however, we do not cater to them exclusively. Our main goal is to get the whole family involved in literacy. Therefore, much of the mentoring takes place at the home. However, there are a few exceptions who find it hard to work in the homes. Stone Soup provide those people with a place to work. We do have two volunteers, but we have the same expectations from them. So volunteers must put in the ten hours per week required of all employees.

Resources: Stone Soup will provide all material necessary for the mentorship. We do provide training for volunteers and employees. Since we are in our first year that training has been adequate if not consistent. We brought in two reading specialists to help our mentors. The staff is coordinated by a Workstudy graduate assistant. Sophoat Lim coordinates the current program and will oversee the placement of next year's program. He can be contacted through Cathey Withrow.

Research: Everyone has to attend weekly meetings to track progress and identify any problems or concerns. CSU Fresno is currently collecting pre- and post-tests and teachers evaluations of students. They will keep track of statistics.

Relations: Stone Soup is very well known in the community; however, we have no specific public relations policy for Fresno READS. A volunteer has offered to put together a media kit for our program. Hopefully, we will have that done by the end of this year.

ROLLING READERS USA
America Reads Contact: Robert Condon
3049 University Avenue
San Diego, CA, 92104
E-mail: rollread@cts.com Internet Address: www.rollingreaders.org
Telephone: 800-390-READ Fax: 619-296-4099

Participation: A nationwide grassroots volunteer effort serving 250,000 children each week. Major sponsors include Scholastic, American Honda, Reading Is Fundamental, and the Dr. Seuss Foundation. The Rolling Readers programs serve economically disadvantaged children in schools, Head Start Programs, shelters, and community after school programs. And, they serve any child reading below grade level in the first through third grades.

Tutoring: The Rolling Readers Tutoring Program targets children in late first through third grade. Begun in San Diego where 224 schools and 4,000 tutors currently partipate, it has spread throughout California and now this year to selected sites around the nation. The program is available to school districts, school sites, FWS programs, and all America Reads efforts nationwide. Information can be easily accessed from the Rolling Readers homepage: www.rollingreaders.org or by calling our national office at 800-390-READ.

Resources: The Rolling Readers National Office assists its chapters and participating programs affiliated with America Reads by providing technical support in areas such as: Program Start-Up; Volunteer Recruitment, Training, Management, Appreciation; Tutor Training of Trainers; Program Evaluation; and Program Publicity.

Research: The Rolling Readers Tutoring Program design has built in placement and evaluation materials to allow for accurate assessment of student reading level progress. Additionally, for area-wide programs the Rolling Readers volunteer management database is available to track your volunteers.

Relations: We have helped our chapters publicize their programs with an eye toward volunteer generation. Most effective are local campaigns with volunteer spokespersons. These are a community call to action. With national publicity, as when Dear Abby wrote about our program last year, we refer calls into our national hotline out to local chapters.

Comments: Rolling Readers is proud to be a member of the President's Coalition for the America Reads Challenge and a commitment maker to America's Promise, the effort led by General Colin Powell. We are happy to work with any organization whose goal is to assure that all youngsters in their community can read well.

SAN BERNADINO CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
America Reads Contact: Judy D. White
777 North "F" Street
San Bernardino, CA
E-mail: Joann_Tortarolo@sbcusd.k12.ca.us Internet Address: under construction
Telephone: (909) 381-1280 Fax: (909) 381-4989

Participation: Judy D. White, Assistant Superintendent, of the Student Services Division in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, San Bernardino, CA,has a vision that could change San Bernardino forever. The vision is designed with children in mind. She is convinced that the best support we can offer our students is to assist them in their reading skills and encourage a love of reading. "City of Readers" involves the entire communities of San Bernardino and Highland. "City of Readers" is guided by a community committee that involves educators, parents, businesses, the faith community, service organizations, law enforcement, Parks and Recreation, the health community, and all existing reading programs.

The program's success can be attributed to a strategic plan to involve residents through a series of kick-offs. The "Parent Kick-off" was held in November 1997 at San Bernardino Valley College. Loni Hancock, Secretary Riley's America Reads Challenge representative attended this event. The "Faith Community Kick-off" was held in January. There were over 700 people in attendance representing various churches and community groups. Since the kick-off over 30,000 books have been given away to youth in various settings.

The success of Superintendent E. Neal Roberts Third Grade Reading Objective and the positive results from the Eighth Grade Language Arts Objective, provides a solid foundation on which the "City of Readers" concept can take root, grow and expand. The local Inland Center Mall supports a Saturday, Storytelling Hour. The Start Out Smart reading program works with professionals and parents of children from birth to preschool. The Rolling Readers Program supports a volunteer reading program that provides the student listener with books to take home. The GranDees Program empowers the senior citizens in an active reading role as part of the "City of Readers."

A proclamation will be presented to the San Bernardino City Council in a few weeks. We are asking that the mayor, Judith Valles, begin her term of office with a commitment to "City of Readers." The three additional areas of support include: 1) defining San Bernardino as a "City of Readers" by posting signs and saturating the media and community with reminders; 2) receiving the proclamation prepared by the community; and 3) encouraging businesses to be part of the "City of Readers."

The "City of Readers" will train teen ambassadors to assist in the collection of 50,000 signatures of support. Mrs. White's goals are to reach measurable outcomes with the City of Readers program. She says, "We want to see an increase in literacy citywide, an increase in reading activities, unity among the citizens, pride in the movement, a reduction in crime, suspensions, expulsions, opportunity and alternative programs." The "City of Readers" unites both the cities of San Bernardino and Highland under the umbrella of reading in order to improve the quality of life for all.

Relations: Yes, the "City of Readers" has been promoted by the local newspapers. The editor of the SUN is a member of the original steering committee. Loni Hancock, Secretary Riley's Regional Representative attended the kick-off held in November. In addition Jennifer Peck, from Ms. Hancock's office, requested information for their quarterly newletter, Best Practices.

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