TWO L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOLS WIN $100,000 GRANTS FROM TARGET

-- Rick Rojas | la tIMES/la nOW | http://lat.ms/yDWdEK

January 25, 2012 |  7:42 pm  ::  Two Los Angeles Unif-ed schools, nominated by viewers of Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show, have received $100,000 grants from Target, the district announced Wednesday.

Crenshaw High School and Enadia Way Elementary School were two of 50 schools selected to receive the grant money that comes without restrictions. And the money, school officials say, couldn't have come at a better time.

"There are a thousand needs," Crenshaw High Principal Sylvia RousseaU said in a statement.

She said Crenshaw has a wish list of instruments for its music program, as well as needs for up-to-date technology, more afterschool programs and professional development for teachers.

Vivian Cordoba, principal of Enadia Way in West Hills, has a similar wish list, noting that the money provides a huge boost for the small school. "That $100,000," she said in a statement, "is going to go very fast."

 

Target to Award $5 Million to Schools in Need

Viewers of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Help Retailer give $100,000 grants to 50 schools as part of Target’s commitment to education

tARGET pRESS rELEASE | http://bit.ly/tU2Kif

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 28, 2011) – Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), with help from The Ellen DeGeneres Show and its viewers, will select 50 schools in need to each receive a $100,000 grant. The $5 million donation from Target to local K-12 schools across the country is part of the company’s commitment to education, which includes plans to give $1 billion for education by the end of 2015.

“This holiday season we’re partnering with Target to help award 50 schools with $100,000 grants to improve their schools; and we need help from so many people,” said talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. “If you know of an amazing, deserving school that could benefit from one of these grants let us know. It could change so many lives.”

To help choose the 50 schools that will each receive a $100,000 grant from Target, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has engaged its viewers in the selection process. Viewers have been asked to submit the name of a school that needs help, along with a compelling story that explains why the school should receive a grant, to The Ellen DeGeneres Show at ellen.warnerbros.com/schoolgiving. Target will then select from these submissions the 50 schools to receive a grant that can be used to support an improved learning environment for kids including new books, upgraded technology and more. Schools selected to receive a $100,000 grant from Target will be chosen based on a number of factors, including consideration of Title I eligibility. Two of the selected schools will be featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

“Education is at the heart of Target’s giving which is why we look for innovative ways to give to schools in need while engaging our guests at the same time,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “We are proud to team up with The Ellen DeGeneres Show and its viewers to help us select 50 schools to each receive a $100,000 grant that can be used to purchase the resources that students and teachers need to excel in the classroom.”

This $5 million donation from Target to local schools is one way the retailer is making a difference in education. The company hopes to help more U.S. children get or stay on the path to high school graduation by ensuring that they meet critical academic milestones such as the ability to read proficiently by the end of third grade.