LAS VEGAS, March 29, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Bank today announced that it has awarded 12 Reading is The way up® grants totaling $8,500 to support literacy-based projects at elementary, middle and high schools in Nevada.
(See attached list of Nevada grant recipients or visit www.readingisthewayup.org.)
Reading is The way up® is the award-winning literacy initiative through which City National has donated more than 55,000 books to elementary school libraries in Nevada, California and New York, and awarded 448 teacher grants to enhance literacy.
The $500 grants will help augment or expand literacy projects that were judged to be creative and engaging, and that would have a tangible affect on student achievement. The winning programs are expected to directly improve the literacy of about 1,000 students in Nevada.
The 12 educators receiving the grants were selected from among the many full-time teachers, librarians, administrators and school media specialists in Nevada who submitted an online application. Applications were distributed to every school district in the four counties where City National maintains offices: Carson City, Clark, Douglas and Washoe counties.
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"We are excited to award much needed funds to a number of very deserving educators in Nevada this year as part of our annual literacy grant program," said Larry Charlton, senior vice president and Nevada regional executive of City National Bank. "These literacy grants are an investment in our future and part of our daily commitment to the communities we serve."
Projects funded included:
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A kindergarten "Literacy BackPack" program in Las Vegas that increases the partnership between the school and the home through books and learning curriculum that the student takes into the home. Family activities are also a part of the "Literacy BackPacks," which further engages parents and other family members in the learning process.
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A fourth grade project in Carson City entitled "Though Galileo's Eyes" where students will make and use 20 Galileo telescopes to further their reading, writing, math, engineering and science skills through observing the night sky. Students will also discuss their learning at home and with each other further cementing new knowledge and creating curiosity to learn more.
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An "Audio-Enhanced" reading program in Reno for grades 4-8 that will help teachers address reading needs of those students for whom visual reading alone is not advancing literacy scores to appropriate levels. These audio programs will also be downloaded and saved on CDs for independent reading, book club, curricular instruction, IEP support and testing.
- A kindergarten through third grade program in Gardnerville referred to as "Quick as a Snap" that uses sight words to motivate low achieving reading students. Teachers will play a variety of enjoyable games using the Califone card reader to help improve student's fluency and comprehension abilities.
About Reading is The way up®
Originally established to help improve the education of California's future leaders, City National in April 2002 launched the multi-faceted Reading is The way up initiative to restock the state's school library system. The program was expanded into Nevada following the 2007 completion of City National's merger with Business Bank of Nevada.
To date, the bank has:
- Contributed over $2 million to support education, including an initial contribution of $100,000 to buy about 5,000 books for public school libraries through the California Governor's Book Fund and the California State Library Foundation.
- Donated more than 55,000 books to Nevada, California and New York school libraries.
- To establish a library "reading corner" at the Jerome D. Mack Middle School in Las Vegas, the bank donated more than 500 brand new books, 300 comic books, furniture and $1,000 for additional educational supplies.
- Received the 2005 President's Volunteer Service Award, the 2005 Corporate Philanthropy Award from the Los Angeles Public Library, the 2006 Corporate Award from the Getty House Foundation, and honored as the 2007 Corporate Visionary Partner by The Wonder of Reading, and the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Corporate Citizen Award.
The bank also has created the Reading is The way up Fund, a 501(c)(3) administered by the California Community Foundation, as a funding resource to purchase books for school libraries in California. For more information, visit www.readingisthewayup.org.
About City National
City National Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of City National Corporation (NYSE:CYN). It is backed by $21.1 billion in total assets, and provides banking, investment and trust services through 72 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada and New York City. The company and its eight majority-owned investment affiliates manage or administer $55.1 billion in client investment assets, including more than $35 billion under direct management.
City National has eight branch offices in Nevada, including four in Las Vegas and one each in North Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City and Minden. The bank also has a loan production office at Stateline in South Lake Tahoe.
The City National Bank logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3143
For more information about City National, visit the company's Website at cnb.com.
City National Bank
Reading is The way up
2010 Nevada Literacy Grant Recipients
Carson City
- "School and Classroom Library Enhancement," Ms. Jean Smart, Carson Middle School
- "School and Classroom Library Enhancement," Ms. Amy Jensen, Eagle Valley Middle School
- "Through Galileo's Eyes," Ms. Irene Huntington, Empire Elementary School
- "Promoting Literacy Through Music and Technology," Ms. Christina Bourne, Empire Elementary School
- "Adopt-A-Book," Ms. Robin Ross, John C. Fremont Elementary School
Gardnerville
- "School and Classroom Library Enhancement," Ms. Dianne Deadrich, C.C. Meneley Elementary School
- "Quick as a Snap," Ms. Leslie Flynn, Gardnerville Elementary School
Las Vegas
- "Family Literacy Week," Ms. Jackie Johns, All Saints' Day School
- "We Love The Giver," Ms. Emily Boecker, James Cashman Middle School
North Las Vegas
- "School and Classroom Library Enhancement," Ms. Trisha Glenn, Carroll M. Johnston Middle School
- "School and Classroom Library Enhancement," Ms. Judith Booher, Carroll M. Johnston Middle School
Reno
- "Audio-Enhanced Reading for Grades 4-8," Ms. Linda Aaquist, High Desert Montessori School