CALIFORNIA DICTIONARY PROJECT DONATES DONATES DICTIONARIES TO ENTIRE SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT THIRD GRADE CLASS

Bay Area Non-Profit Organization Broadens Its Literacy Initiative By Distributing Dictionaries To Third Public School System In Six Months

Oakland, Calif., May 1, 2003 - The California Dictionary Project (www.californiadictionaryproject.org), a non-profit organization focused on donating a dictionary annually to every third grader in California's public school system, today announced the individual distribution of dictionaries to the entire San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) third grade class. The California Dictionary Project will kick off its donation of 6,000 dictionaries tomorrow, Friday, May 2nd at Alvarado Elementary School in San Francisco, from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

The circulation of English and Spanish/English dictionaries to the SFUSD will encompass 78 elementary schools and 190 third grade classrooms. Across San Francisco, over 50 volunteers from the San Francisco School Volunteers (SFSV) will present dictionaries to third grade classes during schoolroom visits. Advocates of the California Dictionary Project attending the event include SFUSD Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, State Assemblyman Mark Leno and San Francisco City Supervisor Bevan Dufty and San Francisco Board of Education members. Financial backers for the project include The San Francisco Youth Fund and six prominent San Francisco law firms; Cooley Godward, Gray Cary, Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe, Morrison & Foerster, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

The California Dictionary Project launched its charitable program on October 4th, 2002, with the distribution of 6,000 dictionaries to every third grade student in the Oakland Unified School District, and more than 120 volunteers presenting dictionaries during 180 classroom visits. More recently, on March 14, 2003, the California Dictionary Project donated 4,000 dictionaries to San Jose Unified School District third graders in 30 schools and 171 classrooms.

"Putting dictionaries into the hands of children at the third grade level instills positive learning ethics," said Mark Robinson, President of the California Dictionary Project. "Growing into a dictionary from a young age builds vocabulary while facilitating sentence structure, which is crucial for every other facet of learning, and paramount to a child's academic career." The California Dictionary Project believes that by reaching children early, providing them with tools (dictionaries), personalizing the delivery (volunteers from the local community) and teaching them how to use those tools (presentations and teacher lesson plans), they can grow "readers." With the motto, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader," the California Dictionary Project views dictionaries as perhaps the first and most powerful reference and active educational tool that a child should own. Across California, 53 percent of third graders currently read below national grade level.

The California Dictionary Project began after an independent group of volunteers and entrepreneurs were inspirited by an article in the Wall Street Journal about the experiences of Mary French, a South Carolina woman who began a charity organization to buy dictionaries for third grade students. Mirroring French's efforts, similar programs have been developed in more than forty states.

Operating at nearly 100 percent efficiency, the California Dictionary Project gives ninety-nine cents of every dollar donated directly to purchase paperback dictionaries that are then given to students in California's public schools.

Superintendent Arlene Ackerman sincerely thanks the California Dictionary Project for its important donation. "The promotion of Literacy is one of the cornerstones of our district's goal of "Excellence For All" for each student in San Francisco. In these tough budget times, generous gifts which promote learning are greatly valued and appreciated."

As interest, efforts and funding for the California Dictionary Project grow, the organization will reach out to the remainder of the Bay Area and eventually into the entire state of California.

About The California Dictionary Project

The California Dictionary Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy in California's public schools, one child at a time. With the motto "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader," the California Dictionary Project believes that by reaching children early, providing them with tools (dictionaries), personalizing the delivery (volunteers from the local community) and teaching them how to use those tools (classroom presentations), they can grow "readers." Since its inaugural year of 2002 - 2003, 41,000 dictionaries have been distributed to third grade students in California public schools. Operating revenues to run the California Dictionary Project come mainly from charitable donors committed to encouraging literacy in California's public elementary schools. In addition to cash donations, the organization seeks foundation and corporate grants, national and local sponsors, endowments, and gifts-in-kind.

For more information, please visit www.californiadictionaryproject.org, or contact Barry Graynor at (415) 693-2136.