Grad program awarded grant

by Michael Myers
Staff Writer

The Reading and Language Arts Specialists Credential Program at the University of La Verne was awarded a $250,000 Rose Hills Foundation Grant in January.

Grant money, which will be given to its recipients over the next five years, will be used as to recruit 10 San Gabriel Valley teachers annually over a five-year span, with scholarships of $5,000 each.

RLASCP is a graduate level program and one of only three private university programs of its kin. Accreditation comes from the California Commission of Teacher Credentialing.

The Rose Hills Foundation, located in Los Angeles, was founded in November 1996, by founders and directors of Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, Calif.

“The money will be used for scholarships for graduate students,” said University spokeswomen, Michelle Zimmerman.

RLASCP requires students to obtain at least 700 hours of application at the newly constituted University of La Verne Literacy Clinic.

The clinic offers no-cost tutoring for children in the surrounding community who are struggling with literacy issues.

Parents are also aided with instructional support at the clinic so they can better assist their children at home.

“This is a great opportunity to establish an outreach to the community, as well as the literacy program,” said ULV spokesman Charles Bentley.

The objective of RLASCP is to help children who struggle with reading and writing in grades K-12.

The University and the Rose Hills Foundation share a commitment that strives on academic excellence, diversity and a lifetime of learning and serving the community to better those in need.