July 2010 eNews

Q. Even though it’s summertime, you remain an incredible advocate for Louisiana’s students year-round. What motivates your passion for children and their academic success?

A. My Dad was the first in his family to graduate from college. My Mom was the first female in her family to graduate from college. Thus, as a young child, my parents instilled in me the importance of education and the difference it can make in a person’s life. That passion for education has stayed with me, and now I encourage my own children, as well as children across the state to work hard so that they will have the skills they need to achieve their dreams.

Q. Volunteer USA is thrilled to have you as a partner on our Love.Read.Learn! Inspire your Baby pilot program. Soon, parents in some Louisiana hospitals will be receiving a free baby journal filled with tips on how they can inspire a love of books and learning from the earliest years. It also includes valuable immunization and health information. Why did you get involved with this project?

A. As a parent, I know how important it is to begin inspiring a love of books and learning at an early age. Nothing can replace the passion for learning a parent can instill in their child- so providing information to parents on how they can help the intellectual and emotional development of their young child is so very critical. That’s why I was thrilled to be a part of this project- it is my hope that this Journal truly helps parents all across Louisiana, both with answering parenting questions many of us have, and with helping parents to instill a love and appreciation of learning in their children at a young age.

Q. You’ve also created the Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana’s Children. What is your mission and your hope?

A.The Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana’s Children seeks to aid Louisiana’s children in all aspects of education, with special emphasis on math and science, giving teachers new tools that will foster an innovative and enriching learning environment.

Initially, the foundation is providing interactive whiteboard technology to schools across Louisiana. Studies show that such technology gives students the opportunity to learn by combining visual representations, sounds, and the ability to interact with the whiteboard and their fellow students. Simply put – this technology brings the video, audio, animation, sights and sounds our children are accustomed to outside of the classroom, into the classroom. The end result is that these tools help teachers in actively engaging their students in dialogue and active participation in the classroom. Recent studies are showing impressive gains in classrooms with this technology versus classrooms without (17-29 percentile gains!). Thus, it is our hope to make a difference in education today, while helping to create a strong workforce for tomorrow.

*A special thanks to Carnival Cruise Lines for helping us to provide the baby journals at no cost to new parents in Louisiana.

Grants Now Available for High Quality Family Literacy Programs

Nonprofits apply today ~ Deadline is August 20th

Volunteer USA’s grant process is now underway in an effort to support family literacy projects during the 2010-2011 academic year. Awards, ranging from $10,000 - $70,000, may be available for eligible programs interested in opening or expanding literacy experiences to families of diverse backgrounds – including families of deaf and hard of hearing children.
Parents and children who participate in our current family literacy network of academies are benefiting richly from free literacy classes and parenting lessons - excelling at home, in the classroom and through improved job opportunities for parents.

Click here for detailed information on the grants and to download an application package.

Governors See Need to Work Together….Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters Spur Long-Term Recovery Fund for Southern States

There are still several months to go in the annual season that brings threats of severe weather in the south including hurricanes, tornadoes and tropical storms. We know from experience that natural disasters often cross state lines. The most immediate focus is always with immediate response…but a great need exists to help states and local communities prepare for and coordinate the long months and even years of recovery.

That’s why Volunteer USA is in the planning stages of the National Disaster Recovery Fund. Under the leadership of Jeb Bush as honorary chair and Walmart CEO Bill Simon as chair – the Fund will provide long-term support to fill gaps where insurance and FEMA funding don’t exist. The states of Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi are new partners in the development of the National Disaster Recovery Fund. The Fund will allow faith and community-based non-profits that have track records of sustainable efforts helping communities rebuild to compete for funds - transparency and accountability of fund allocation will be paramount. The focus of the awards will be on repairing low-income homes and nonprofit establishments, as well as repairing or replacing essential work materials. Visit www.nationaldisasterrecoveryfund.org. Stay tuned, much more to come...

*And, in case you haven’t heard…hats off to Volunteer USA board member Bill Simon. He’s the new CEO of Walmart Inc. and is now in charge of the company’s entire fleet of U.S. discount stores. Bill’s leadership and management skills are evident in all he accomplishes both professionally and philanthropically. We’re grateful for his continued commitment to Volunteer USA.

In Memoriam:

Scott Ellington, FLI Advisory Board, Chair

We bid farewell to our good friend Scott Ellington this month. A champion of literacy, he chaired our Family Literacy Initiative for 11 years. His passion and commitment to literacy and lifelong learning helped us touch the lives of so many parents and their children across Florida.

With a unique combination of humor and sophistication Scott was always on hand to help us welcome our special guests at the annual Celebration of Reading event, which featured nationally famous authors including Brad Meltzer, Carl Hiaasen, Eric Carle, Fannie Flagg and so many more.

“Scott’s passion for family literacy is evident in his decades of work promoting the effort. I wish his wife Lynn and his entire family to know our admiration for Scott’s efforts,” shared Jeb Bush.

On behalf of the thousands of families he helped, we will continue to honor Scott’s legacy at Volunteer USA.