Mayor Villaraigosa Joins the Federation to Kick Off KOREH L.A. Literacy Program In Boyle Heights Schools

(top, l to r): City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, KOREH L.A. Chair Allan Cutrow, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Jake Farber, City Councilmember Jose Huizar, Federation President John Fishel; (bottom, l to r): Roosevelt High Principal Sofia Freire, Breed Street Elementary Principal Carmel Vela-Madady.

On September 24, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and City Councilmember Jose Huizar joined Federation President John Fishel, to kick off a new KOREH L.A. mentoring program between Roosevelt High School and Breed Street Elementary School. Through this program, designed to improve both reading skills and self-esteem among young people in LAUSD schools, 140 Roosevelt High students were trained to serve as one-on-one reading partners to Breed Street students.

The partnership between Roosevelt High and Breed Street Elementary was created by KOREH L.A., a literacy program of the Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC). The program offers two benefits: it helps the younger students develop their reading skills, and engages the older students in communal volunteerism.

“KOREH L.A. is serving as a model for the type of community engagement that is the heart of Los Angeles,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “This project shows what can be done when we all join forces, as partners, to take responsibility in our communities.”

According to a 2006 study conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service, students who volunteer in high-quality school-based service activities do better in school than their counterparts who do not participate. They are also more likely to believe that they can make a difference in their community.

“As we start the Jewish New Year, we renew our commitment to tikkun olam, repair of the world,” said John Fishel. “In this spirit, the Federation is very pleased to help these and thousands of other LAUSD students improve their reading skills and self-confidence. They will take these essential tools with them for life.”

KOREH L.A. is a non-sectarian program that recruits, trains and places volunteer reading partners in over 150 low-performing LAUSD elementary schools. Since 1998, it has trained more than 6,500 volunteers and helped over 14,000 children.

In addition to establishing the reading partner program between the two schools, Breed Street Elementary will be a 2008 beneficiary of KOREH L.A.’s Library Book Initiative, a program to help stock the shelves of LAUSD elementary school libraries. With the support of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Breed Street will be the twelfth school to have its library completely restocked with new books.

For more information on KOREH L.A., please contact Elaine Albert at (323) 761-8154 or EAlbert@JewishLA.org.