CALIFORNIA DICTIONARY PROJECT RETURNS TO OAKLAND TO HAND OUT 5,000 DICTIONARIES TO PUBLIC SCHOOL THIRD GRADERS

Non-Profit Kicks Off its Second Year of Distributing Dictionaries to Bay Area Kids to Help Improve Skills and Interest in Reading

Oakland, Calif., November 14, 2003 - The California Dictionary Project (www.californiadictionaryproject.org), a non-profit organization aimed at donating and distributing a dictionary annually to every third grade student in California's public school system, announced its latest round of distribution of 5,000 free dictionaries to every public school third grader in Oakland. In partnership with the Oakland Heroes and OUSD Superintendent Dr. Randolph Ward, state-appointed administrator for OUSD, the CDP will kick off its efforts on, Friday, November 14th at Fruitvale Elementary School in Oakland, California, from 10-11:30 a.m. with a series of multiple classroom visits and interactive presentations with students.

The Oakland distribution marks the start of the second annual distribution season, bringing the total number of dictionaries distributed by CDP to 21,000 since October of 2002. The project has been warmly embraced by students in Oakland, San Jose, and San Francisco and hopes to encourage overall educational development of California students while improving the state's below-average literacy rates.

This year's Oakland distribution was donated by the Severns Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting Northern California community needs in the areas of education, arts/culture, healthcare, social services and environmental management. "We're thrilled to be supporting such a worthy cause in helping to make at least a small difference in these young kids' educational lives," said Dave Severns of the Severns Family Foundation. "I look forward to experiencing first hand the joy and excitement in the students' eyes that I understand has been part of every third grade distribution to date."

Touting the motto, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader," the CDP 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.

"We've found that students are immediately adding to their vocabulary skills and expressing new levels of interest in word comprehension," said Mark Robinson, president of the California Dictionary Project. "It's our hope that by introducing the kids to the dictionaries, we can provide a reference tool that is a catalyst for increased learning and leadership."

"We appreciate the time, resources and energy that have been donated by the volunteers today," said Dr. Randolph E. Ward, state administrator of the Oakland Unified School District. "Our community is grateful for the efforts of the California Dictionary Project, Oakland Heroes, and the Severns Family, who have invested in the future of our students."

The founders of the CDP were inspired to create the organization as a result of the work by Mary French, a South Carolina woman that began a non-profit to buy dictionaries for every third grade student (www.dictionaryproject.org). Her efforts have been the basis of similar programs in more than forty states.

As funding for the organization grows, the CDP expects to expand beyond the Bay Area to other parts of California in the coming years.

About The California Dictionary Project

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," California Dictionary Project works with volunteer organizations and individuals to distribute free dictionaries annually to third graders during classroom visits. During its inaugural year of 2002 - 2003, 16,000 dictionaries were distributed to third grade students in California public schools. Operating revenues to run 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 the www.californiadictionaryproject.org, or contact Barry Graynor at (415) 693-2136.