Funds Support Program to Help Parents Improve Their Children’s Reading Skills in Bay Area Schools
San Francisco, CA — March 20, 2012 — GreatSchools today announced its receipt of a $250,000 donation from Target, which will be used to bring the College Bound parent education program to eight elementary schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012. This contribution is part of Target’s commitment to helping more U.S. children reach the critical academic milestone of reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Target has donated millions of dollars to educators, schools and nonprofit organizations across the country to help ignite a love of learning among children.
“We are excited to announce our partnership with Target to help parents support and inspire their children in reading achievement through our College Bound program,” said Bill Jackson, CEO, GreatSchools. “GreatSchools has empowered thousands of parents across the country to support literacy efforts at home and at school. Target’s support not only ensures that young children in the Bay Area will become better readers, it also dramatically increases the likelihood that those children will graduate from high school with a world of opportunity ahead.”
GreatSchools’ College Bound program offers simple ways to help children do well in school. With the support of a bilingual multimedia program, parents build new habits and skills to increase the frequency and quality of their child’s reading time. This semester, GreatSchools is implementing the program at three public schools in the Bay Area: Alvarado Elementary in San Francisco Unified School District, Adelante Spanish Immersion School in Redwood City, and Think College Now in Oakland Unified School District. The program will offer College Bound online, monthly bilingual workshops, a bilingual SMS program, and other innovative services for K-5 parents.
“To ensure more students are reading proficiently by the end of third grade, and in turn, graduating from high school on time, Target is dedicated to providing resources to help bring learning to life,” said Laysha Ward, President, Community Relations, Target. “We’re proud to partner with GreatSchools as part of our ongoing commitment to invest in innovative education programs that help keep children on the path to graduation.”
In addition to supporting education through Grants such as the one received by GreatSchools, Target also funds several signature education programs aimed at helping students and teachers excel. For example, Take Charge of Education is an initiative that empowers guests to direct a portion of their Target REDcard purchases to an eligible K-12 school of their choice. Another example is Target School Library Makeovers. Through this initiative, Target leverages its design and construction expertise to completely transform school libraries across the country.
These are just two examples of the many ways Target supports local communities and helps to reinforce the important role reading plays in shaping a child’s future. It is through these programs and many others that Target plans to reach a total of $1 billion in giving to education, with a focus on reading, by the end of 2015.
About GreatSchools
GreatSchools is a national nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and guide parents to be effective champions of their children’s education at home and in their communities. Founded in 1998, GreatSchools reaches more than 40 million people each year through its website community and local, on-the-ground programs. As an expert in education and parenting support, GreatSchools makes it easy for parents to find the right schools, keep their children on track and inspire their learning. For more information, visit www.greatschools.org.
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,765 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.
Contacts
Karissa Sparks, GreatSchools, (415) 983-3860
Target Media Hotline, (612) 696-3400
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