Three school districts in San Mateo County have been selected to receive a second round of grants to improve young children’s reading skills as part of The Big Lift initiative, Silicon Valley Community Foundation announced today.
The districts that were selected through a competitive process are Ravenswood, Redwood City and San Bruno Park. They join Cabrillo, La Honda Pescadero, Jefferson and South San Francisco as Big Lift communities. In addition to the districts’ preschool programs, grants will be awarded to the Institute for Human and Social Development and the City of Menlo Park’s Belle Haven Child Development Center.
A total of approximately $2 million per year will be awarded to preschool providers and school districts in these communities over the course of three years to provide high-quality learning experiences from preschool to third grade. Those learning experiences will include high-quality preschool and summer programs, and a focus on reducing absenteeism and engaging parents and the broader community to support learning in school and at home.
The Big Lift was spearheaded in 2012 by the Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council, which is led by SVCF, the San Mateo County Office of Education, the County of San Mateo and a network of funders and service providers devoted to improving outcomes for children in the county.
For more information about The Big Lift, visit thebiglift.org.
