CALIFORNIA READING AND LITERATURE PROJECT March 29, 2013 To Whom It May Concern, On behalf of the UCLA Center X – Graduate School of Education, we are so proud to be partnering with the Geffen Playhouse in a brand new way this year. At UCLA Center X, we are dedicated to changing the schooling for the most underserved students of Los Angeles. Our mission has aligned perfectly with the Geffen’s belief that theater can be used as a tool for accelerating the learning and achievement of Los Angeles’ most economically and educationally disadvantaged youth. Last summer, I was contacted by the Geffen Playhouse with an invitation to participate in a series of strategic planning sessions that would focus on arts education, arts integration and outreach in Los Angeles, specifically in the Boyle Heights community. A new pilot program emerged as a result of these sessions: The Geffen Playhouse Mendez Writing Project at the Mendez Learning Center in Boyle Heights. As Director of the UCLA Center X California Reading and Literature Project, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with the Geffen Playhouse all year to help develop writing curriculum and an overall program structure for this new pilot. Two of our top retired Teacher Leaders, Lois Clark and Johnetta Fleming, have offered their skills and expertise as writing coaches to the students and as professional development mentors to the English teachers at the Mendez Learning Center. The experience partnering with the Geffen Playhouse has been impactful not only for the students and teachers participating in the program, but also for me and my staff at the California Reading and Literature Project. It is inspiring to see how the Geffen has collaborated so successfully with education experts and has used a full season of plays to weave theater arts and literacy together in such an innovative way. I’ve never seen an arts education program like this before, nor have I ever seen a professional theater that is as committed to arts education and literacy as the Geffen Playhouse. I commend the Geffen leadership for their fearlessness to create something new, based on the needs of the greater Los Angeles community. All of us at the UCLA Center X California Reading and Literature Project look forward to what the future holds for our partnership with the Geffen Playhouse and for the students and teachers we serve throughout Los Angeles. Sincerely,
Shervaughnna Anderson-‐Demiraz Director – California Reading and Literature Project UCLA Center X – Graduate School of Education
UCLA California Reading and Literature Project is a part of Center X and the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. For more information, please visit: www.uclacrlp.org
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