 | | | Mina Boozarpour with "Tool Kits" Photo provided | | | | | | Homelessness is an issue in many communities and the larger East Bay Area is no different. Homeless or highly mobile children often have a harder time keeping up in school and progressing academically. It is well known that lack of or poor education is a major cause of poverty, which can lead to homelessness. One Campolindo senior, Mina Boozarpour, decided that her Girl Scout Gold Award Project would focus on helping the homeless in the East Bay. After much research into different services and outreach programs for the homeless, Boozarpour decided to develop her project to support the Oakland-based nonprofit Community Education Partnerships, started in 2011, which supports HHM children in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade by recruiting and training volunteers who are willing to provide academic tutoring to HHM children. The CEP mission is to partner with community members to increase the learning opportunities and enhance the academic achievement of HHM youth.
Boozarpour's project involved creating, through the collection of education materials from various sources, "tool boxes" that provide quick resources of education material organized by grade level and common core structure. Mina raised money for her project through a bake sale and worked with other troop members and friends to collect and develop tool boxes for grades pre-K and kindergarten through third grade. She also enjoyed meeting with many educators, some past teachers, and attending CEP tutor training. If you would like to test out one of the tool boxes, consider volunteering with CEP to make a difference in a child's life.
|
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA