San Francisco State University, Established 1899, 1600 Holloway Ave. SF, CA 94132

SFSU Public Affairs Press Release

Published by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center.

#107--May 10, 2000
Contact: Ted DeAdwyler
phone: 415/338-1665
e-mail: pubcom@sfsu.edu

500 Preschoolers take over S.F. State campus Friday, May 12; SFSU students, corportate volunteers to help kids read

Little tykes on computers part of day's varied activities for preschoolers ages 3-5

What: Hundreds of San Francisco preschoolers ages 3-5, their parents, teachers and college students from San Francisco State University's Jumpstart Program will take over the main quad on the S.F. State campus for a day of activities to bolster the literacy and social skills of at-risk children preparing to enter school.

When and Where: Friday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the main quad of San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave.

Details: Five hundred children from 10 preschool centers in San Francisco will descend on the San Francisco State University campus for activities designed to promote reading. At "KidsFest Day," the children will visit 26 learning stations on the quad staffed by students from S.F. State, UC Davis and City College of S.F. and volunteers from companies such as Macy's, IBM, American Eagle Outfitters, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, Noah's New York Bagels and characters from the Where the Wild Things Are. The S.F. State students are part of the university's chapter of Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps effort to build the literacy and learning skills of at-risk children so that they are ready to enter elementary school. Right now, 40 S.F. State students work one-on-one with at-risk preschool children who have been identified by their teachers as needing individualized instruction. The S.F. State students work at the Theresa S. Mahler Center in the Mission district, the Grace Child Development Center in Bayview and Tule Elk Park School in the Marina. Half of the S.F. State Jumpstart students are now finishing a commitment of two school years and one summer working with the children and their families and will graduate later this month. The college students, some of whom plan to go into teaching, will receive an educational award of $2,400 through AmeriCorps. The awards can be used to repay educational loans or future tuition expenses. Similar Jumpstart programs are under way in Boston, Pittsburgh, New Haven, New York, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

For More Information: Contact Jessica Taisey, special events coordinator for Jumpstart, at (415) 338-3884 or call Ted DeAdwyler of the S.F. State Office of Public Affairs at (415) 338-7110.

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