.jpg)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Eileen Peterson, volunteer school librarian,
(310) 795-3833 or (323) 850-5452
Kathy Mimberg, NCLR, (202) 776-1714
Sarah-Frances Wallace, Lowe’s Companies,
Inc., (704)758-4339
NCLR and Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation help a high school build brighter futures
LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Leadership Academy will host a community celebration at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 22 to unveil its newly renovated school library. The celebration will take place at the high school, located at 234 East Avenue 33 in Los Angeles. Remarks will be made by Mona Field, member of the school’s board of directors and the board of trustees at Los Angeles Community College District; Carolina Salcedo, a Lincoln Heights community leader whose child attends the Los Angeles Leadership Academy; Roger Lowenstein, Founder and Executive Director of Los Angeles Leadership Academy; and a representative from the Lowe’s Burbank branch.
The library renovations were made possible through a $25,000 grant from NCLR (National Council of La Raza) and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. Funds were used to refurbish the school’s library and associated computer research lab, as well as to purchase new library display racks, chairs, carpeting, carts, books, and periodicals.
The Los Angeles Leadership Academy, where 75 percent of the student body is Latino, was founded in 2002 and currently serves more than 400 students in grades 6–12. According to research cited by the American Library Association, strong library media programs help close the achievement gap for poor and minority students, particularly when it comes to reading scores at the high school level.
The Los Angeles Leadership Academy is the first of four schools to have its library renovated this year with funds provided by the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. Each school received a $25,000 grant for its library renovation. The other schools are Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, also in Los Angeles, the East Austin College Prep Academy in Austin, and the George I. Sanchez Charter High School in Houston.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: Community celebration of the renovation of the Los Angeles Leadership
Academy library
WHEN: Wednesday, June 22, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Los Angeles Leadership Academy
234 East Avenue 33
Los Angeles, CA 90031
WHO: Mona Field, Member, Board of Directors, Los Angeles Leadership
Academy, and Member, Board of Trustees, Los Angeles
Community College District
Carolina Salcedo, Lincoln Heights community leader and parent of a Los
Angeles Leadership Academy student
Roger Lowenstein, Founder and Executive Director, Los Angeles
Leadership Academy
Representative from Lowe’s, Burbank branch
Representative from the office of Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes
(invited)
Charlotte Kandel, author of children’s books (invited)
Event photos will be available to the press upon request. Please contact Eileen Peterson at (310) 795-3833 or (323) 850-5452 for photos.
###
ABOUT LOWE’S
Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K–12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s signature education grant program, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education, has brought more than $5 million in grants to K–12 public schools every year since its inception in 2005. “Lowe’s Heroes” employee volunteers support local community projects and national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity International and the American Red Cross. In 2010, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/socialresponsibility.