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Disadvantaged inner-city youth living in City Heights know more people who have been shot or killed than people who have gone to college. Known as the probation capital of San Diego, City Heights has also been referred to as "the rotting core of San Diego". So what could be a more unreasonable and improbable than creating a "College Town" out of the City Heights neighborhood?
Reality Changers is headquartered in City Heights and its mission is to transform low-income, underprivileged youth into first generation college students. This year, Reality Changers successfully helped over 200of these students become first generation college students through their tutoring and mentoring program called College Town and through their College Apps Academy program. In this year alone, Reality Changers' students earned more than $14million in college scholarships. See the Reality Changers' website for more information on the programs and please look at their videos with testimonies from some of their students.
http://realitychangers.org/ http://realitychangers.org/news/video-gallery/
To launch their College Town program, Reality Changers will be coordinating its second annual College Town Festival on Saturday, November 3, 2013 at Teralta Park in City Heights. The purpose is to encourage and educate the youth about the importance of going to college and to create a college-going culture in City Heights. This festival will symbolically turn City Heights into a "College Town".
The San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary is donating $2500 for this event, which if matched by District 5340 through this Rotary District Grant, the $5000 cost of this family-friendly event will be completely covered. In addition, Maureen Eberle, a member of the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary will be recruiting more of her Rotary members to volunteer at this event.
Throughout the park, there will be special booths provided for college admissions officers from across the country to educate the youth about the multitude of colleges out there that have scholarships they could apply for. In addition there will be lots of fun games, live performances, community organizations, music, and food.
All low income, inner city youth throughout City Heights will be invited with their families. Over 30 high schools, middle schools, and grade schools in the area will be invited and encouraged to urge student attendance.
Last year was the first year for this event and Reality Changers had over 20 colleges and universities hosting tabletop displays and attracted 450-500 attendees.
Budget: $5000
The following outlines the budget requested by Reality Changers to put on College Town Festival:
College Town Festival
2013 Budget
Event Security $500.00
Equipment(booths, generators, tables AV) $3,100.00
Permit $400.00
General Supplies $250.00
Flyers, Posters, Postcards $300.00
Food for volunteer $100.00
Miscellaneous $350.00
Total $5,000.00
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Maureen Eberle, 619-519-5281. Thank you for your consideration!
Addendum to Project Description (added after the project was signed)
I have two attachments. One is the budget for this event, which might be a little easier to read than what is listed above. The other is pictures from last year's College Town Festival to give an illustration of what we would be doing this year, only this year we are expanding on what was done last year and doing much more. Last year was the first year for this event.
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