Dear Business Partner,

Please join us in our campaign to create brighter futures for the young children of South Los Angeles. At the Los Angeles Urban League, we are very concerned about what is happening to the youth in our community. There is a serious achievement gap that is affecting the academic success of our children. Do you know that:

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By the time low-income children reach four years of age, many are already two to three years behind their higher income peers?

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Children who do not learn to read by the end of the 3rd grade, cannot "read to learn" in 4th grade and beyond?

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States determine how many prison beds they will need ten years in the future based on third grade test scores?

Sadly, all of the above statements are true. Unfortunately, the statistics for our young African American male students are even worse. We do know that children who participate in high-quality early education develop better language and school readiness skills and have fewer behavioral problems in school. High-quality early childhood programs also yield substantial long-term benefits, including higher graduation rates, fewer school dropouts, less need for special education, and less crime.

The time has now come that we as a community/village, take responsibility for our children, and we can’t wait until they get to high school. We have to start very early on. Systemic and sustainable change in student achievement requires a strong focus on early education. To that end, we are establishing a Parent Academy that will provide free training and resources for parents and a Teachers’ Coaching Program focused on the young African American male. Your contribution will also help us continue to provide high-quality educational experiences for the children enrolled in our State Preschool Programs.

According to a recent study by RAND, only five percent of African American children in California attend a high-quality early childhood program. At the League, we are trying to change the face of early education in our community by trying to provide as many children as possible with a high-quality early education, which as you know, requires a significant financial investment. We are asking you and the community to join us in our

iMatter2 Early Education Campaign. Every child in our community matters and we ask you for your support.

We also know how crucial it is to have major community leaders like you partner with us as we work to eliminate the achievement gap in our community. Please help us change the trajectory of the lives of the children in our community by becoming a campaign sponsor.

Attached is a sponsorship form that describes the various sponsor options from which you can choose your level of support. Your donation will benefit all the early education partners in our community. This way, we can effectuate school success for all of our children. We look forward to talking with you further about this partnership for transformational change.

Sincerely,

Patricia A. Phipps

Patricia A. Phipps, Ed.D.

Vice President, Early Education and Development

Los Angeles Urban League

323-299-9660, ext. 2257 or 2208