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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Narissa Johnson, Southwest Key Programs
(512) 934-4445, njohnson@swkey.org
David Castillo, NCLR, (202) 776-1771
Sarah-Frances Wallace, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (704) 758-4339
NCLR and Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation help a middle school build brighter futures
AUSTIN, Texas—The East Austin College Prep Academy will host a community celebration from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 11, to unveil its newly renovated school library. The festivities for Viva the Books! will take place at the school, located in Southwest Key’s El Centro de Familia at 6002 Jain Lane in Austin. The event is open to the public at no charge and will feature a book giveaway, a voter registration drive, a display of student work, wandering storytellers, and theatrical and dance performances.
Texas Representative Joaquín Castro (District 125) will join Dr. Juan Sanchez, Chair of the East Austin College Prep Academy Board of Directors and El Presidente/CEO and Founder of Southwest Key Programs, and a representative from the Lowe’s Austin branch at a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony which will be followed by an opportunity for families to tour the new library. The Latino Arts Preservation Program will perform a Ballet Folklorico dance and a theatrical rendition of Where the Wild Things Are with narration in Spanish.
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 East Austin College Prep Academy is an innovative, tuition-free charter middle school that aims to successfully prepare all students, regardless of economic background, for a rigorous high school curriculum, graduation, and ultimately success in college and career. 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 East Austin College Prep Academy is one 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 the renovation. The other schools are the George I. Sanchez Charter High School in Houston, and the Los Angeles Leadership Academy and the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: Community celebration of the renovation of the East Austin College Prep Academy, including a book give-away, a voter registration drive, ribbon-cutting ceremony, and theatrical and dance performances.WHEN: Thursday, August 11, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Southwest Key’s El Centro de Familia
6002 Jain Lane
Austin, TX 78721WHO: Dr. Juan Sanchez, Chair of the East Austin College Prep Academy Board
of Directors and El Presidente/CEO and Founder of Southwest Key Programs
Texas Representative Joaquín Castro (District 125)
Representative from the Lowe’s Austin branch
Performances by the Latino Arts Preservation Program
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About NCLR
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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.