South San Francisco, CA April 27, 2015 Submitted by John Horgan SSFUSD 
The South San Francisco Unified School District is the beneficiary of more than $1 million in funds provided by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation which will be used to assist young children with their reading skills.
The creative effort to improve the reading abilities of children in pre-school through the third grade, dubbed “The Big Lift,” is a combined program sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, along with the taxpayers of San Mateo County, and other key entities.
In South San Francisco, the comprehensive plan also involves major collaboration with Peninsula Family Services and the city itself as co-leaders, as well as the Institute for Human and Social Development as a pre-school partner, according to the District’s Child Development Director, Sheryl Chan.
In total, all of the involved local agencies and charitable arms will provide just under $2 million, Chan said.The program’s focus will be on aiding pupils who struggle with their reading skills. The District’s allocation of $1.099 million from the foundation will be utilized during the first 16 months of the program, according to District officials.
Judy Bush, President of the District Board of Trustees, stated that, “The District is excited to be a recipient of the Big Lift grant. Reading is the foundation for learning and the Big Lift funding will assist the District in concentrating on those students who need additional help with their reading skills.”
The complete press release from the foundation can be found via the following link.