Super Stars Literacy, Inc. Starts 2009 with Strong Community Support

Super Stars Literacy, Inc., the East Bay non-profit that builds literacy skills for primary grade children in communities with limited resources, has earned recognition for its work from two leading community foundations. The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) awarded a $20,000 grant for the 2008-09 year "to support [Super Stars Literacy's] comprehensive academic and social development daily after-school program to improve the academic and social development of elementary school children with challenging life circumstances."

Also, following on the heels of its recent grant of $15,000, the East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) has now profiled Super Stars Literacy in EBCF's 2008 annual report as an organization well-positioned to advance EBCF's new strategic focus on preparing young people at both preschool and school-age levels to succeed. Super Stars Literacy is one of only two nonprofits highlighted in this report.

According to Mike Mowery, Super Stars Literacy's Executive Director, "This back-to-back recognition by the two preeminent community foundations on each side of the Bay further validates our success in building critically-needed early literacy and social development skills for our at-risk students. We greatly appreciate the ongoing support of both the East Bay Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation as we seek to improve opportunities for academic success for more and more Bay Area students."

Super Stars Literacy's comprehensive five-day-a-week after-school program is a direct response to studies suggesting children, especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds who are not reading at grade level by the end of the third grade, are at serious risk of never developing strong academic skills or graduating high school. Since its founding in 2002, the program has achieved outstanding results in meeting, and often exceeding, its goal of having 80 percent of its students read at grade-level as they enter the third grade.

About The East Bay Community Foundation

The East Bay Community Foundation (http://www.eastbaycf.org/) connects community needs in Alameda and Contra Costa counties with individuals, families and organizations interested in charitable giving - and acts as a catalyst for change through leading initiatives, through advocacy, and through partnerships with business, government, and private foundations.

About The San Francisco Foundation

As one of the nation's largest community foundations with more than $1 billion in assets, The San Francisco Foundation (http://www.sff.org/) addresses community needs by supporting innovative ideas and strengthening existing nonprofit organizations that lack sufficient resources or infrastructure. They focus on the areas of arts and culture, community development, community health, education, the environment, and social justice.

About Super Stars Literacy, Inc.

Dedicated to building early literacy skills in primary grade children in communities with limited resources, Super Stars Literacy (http://www.superstarsliteracy.org/) currently serves 270 students at six Oakland, Calif., elementary schools: Hoover Elementary, Parker Elementary, Think College Now, International Community School, EnCompass Academy and East Oakland Pride. The program was originally founded in 2002 as a program of the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Inc., and earned independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in 2008.