Experience Corps Bay Area Receives National Recognitions for Exemplary Work

Organization that helps young students make the grade with support of older adult volunteers earns top honors with Eisner Foundation Prize

SAN FRANCISO (I-Newswire) January 23, 2013 - Experience Corps Bay Area (ECBA), an organization that engages older adult volunteers to help improve literacy skills among young students in kindergarten through third grade, has been selected to receive the prestigious, second annual Eisner Foundation Prize for Intergenerational Excellence for 2012.

ECBA received a grant for the organization’s future initiatives, including expansion into new schools and funding to fill in for reduced government monies. Experience Corps leaders will also work with The Eisner Foundation to replicate some of its programming in Los Angeles where Eisner Foundation is headquartered.

Established in 2011, the Eisner Prize is a national award that recognizes individuals or nonprofits in the United States for their efforts to help unite multiple generations to bring about positive, lasting changes in their communities.

“Experience Corps is the only national program that provides an intensive level of reading intervention. We have older adult volunteers with a proven track record of helping students reach crucial academic milestones that enable them to become self-sufficient and achieve lifelong success,” said Paul Olsen, Experience Corps Bay Area director. “The Eisner Prize will allow us to expand this program to have an even greater impact in the community.”

More Honors:
ECBA’s tremendous work was also acknowledged in GreatNonprofits’ 2012 Top-Rated List, an honor given to less than one percent of eligible nonprofits in the United States. Since 2009, GreatNonprofits has recognized nonprofits with acclaimed Top-Rated awards that are determined by positive reviews of small and large nonprofits and charities by users who have been volunteers, donors or clients.

ECBA launched in 1998 as a pilot program in the Sunset district of San Francisco. Funding was provided by Aspiranet, a leading social services agency dedicated to supporting foster youth and families in California for 37 years.

Today, 130 ECBA volunteers serve more than 2,000 students through partnerships in 17 Bay Area schools. Experience Corps is a results-oriented program that provides extensive pre-service and ongoing training to members, as well as staff support at every site. By working in public schools, members bring their own experiences to life by mentoring and tutoring the next generation.

For more information, visit www.experiencecorpsbayarea.org.

About AARP Experience Corps/Experience Corps Bay Area
AARP Experience Corps matches the experience and talent of thousands of older Americans with elementary schools in 19 local communities. A truly innovative model, AARP Experience Corps is the only national program that provides an intensive level of reading intervention from older volunteers within a standardized practice. Caring, mature volunteers provide a strong commitment to children, high quality tutoring skills and are dedicated to building trust and rapport with students and teachers. Experience Corps bay Area trains and supports volunteer members who serve thousands of children in San Francisco and Oakland public schools, helping them succeed in school and in life.

About Aspiranet
Aspiranet, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, supports foster children, siblings, families and the community with 35 core programs offering specialized services throughout 45 locations within California. Some of Aspiranet’s programs include: treatment foster care, transitional housing, residential care, mental health counseling, family services, inclusion services for children with developmental challenges and therapeutic behavioral services and school based behavioral and educational supports.

Founded 37 years ago as a six-bed group home for young boys in Moss Beach, Calif., Aspiranet is one of the most diverse nonprofit social service agencies in the state. With a statewide network of innovative services, Aspiranet has served more than 15,000 families and children since its founding. For more information, please visit www.aspiranet.org.

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