Livermore Valley Education Foundation Grants $74,500 to Livermore School District

The Livermore Valley Education Foundation (LVEF) has announced a $74,500 grant to the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD). The grant will support the following programs:

Google Chromebook computers ($39,000): District high school students use Chromebooks for a variety of purposes, including research, collaboration, remote learning, and testing. The Chromebooks are critical to the District’s mission of “making sure each student graduates with the skills needed to contribute and thrive in a changing world,” according to LVJUSD Assistant Superintendent Cindy Alba. Del Valle, Granada, and Livermore High School will each receive 32 Chromebooks under this grant.

Shakespeare for Second Graders (up to $25,000): Each second grade class will receive ten 50-minute Shakespeare classes over the course of ten weeks, taught by two Teaching Artists from Shakespeare’s Associates, Livermore’s resident Shakespeare company. The program is designed to enhance the language arts curriculum by increasing language skills, encouraging the expression of ideas, developing imagination, and relating key themes in Shakespeare’s works to the students’ own lives. The program will be implemented District-wide in the fall, following a highly successful pilot at Joe Michell School this spring.

“I am thrilled that we will be able to expand the Shakespeare’s Associates program to all Second Grade classrooms!,” said LVJUSD Superintendent Kelly Bowers. “This is an amazing opportunity to expose children to poetry and the performing arts, providing a new and special component to the second grade experience. The theater is close to my heart and I am very pleased to partner with LVEF to provide this opportunity to our students.”

Music Education ($10,000): LVEF will distribute $10,000 to the music programs at Joe Michell and Junction Avenue K-8 schools; Christensen, East Avenue, and Mendenhall middle schools; and Granada and Livermore high schools. Music education has been a high priority for LVEF since the organization’s inception. The primary source of revenue for LVEF’s music fund is Make Time for Music, a student showcase and fundraiser which LVEF sponsored this spring for the 22nd consecutive year.

Shooting Stars ($500): Established six years ago by a Livermore High School student, Shooting Stars is a cheerleading team for LHS special needs students. In addition to performing at pep rallies, basketball games, football games, and The Bankhead Theater, Shooting Stars has been featured in the Independent Newspaper, The Valley Times, Channel 30, KPIX Channel 5, and ABC News. Shooting Stars will use the LVEF grant to purchase team shirts, sweats, shoes, sweatshirts, and trophies.

“I am delighted that LVEF will support our Shooting Stars cheer leading squad,” said School Board Trustee Anne White. “The Shooting Stars have become fixtures on our high school campuses and true members of the school communities. I am grateful for our very special Livermore community which has embraced the Shooting Stars, their efforts and their successes. I applaud LVEF for joining in support of our Shooting Stars.”

Established in 1991, LVEF is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, staffed entirely by volunteers, that has raised over $4 million for Livermore schools through individual and corporate donations. LVEF supports a broad spectrum of school programs, reflecting its mission to promote Straight A’s in Academics, Arts, and Athletics for Livermore schools. For more information visit www.lvef.org.

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