Granville Homes commits $100K to ‘Talking is Teaching’ campaign

Source: The Business Journal

 Granville Homes will contribute $100,000 to a new campaign launched this month to boost the early brain development and language skills of young children in Fresno. The campaign, titled “Talking is Teaching: Talk Read, Sing,” is a community-wide effort targeted at area children ranging in age from infants up to 5-year-olds. The program is part of a promotion called “Too Small to Fail,” a joint initiative of Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation. “The best return on investment is the investment we make in our kids,” said Kendra Rogers, Granville’s director of community investment. The campaign has also drawn the support of local business and community leaders including Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Jim Yovino, Fowler Unified School District Superintendent Eric Cederquist and Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. Organizers said the program will aim to close the so-called “word gap,” a difference of about 30 million more words that children in high-income families hear from parents and caregivers by their fourth birthday compared to children in low-income families. The fewer words children hear and learn, campaign organizers said, the more likely they are to experience an achievement gap, which persists through kindergarten and has a life-long impact on health and well-being. The project consists of a community-wide, multi-media campaign that highlights for parents and caregivers simple actions that can be done every day – like describing objects seen during a bus ride, asking questions, singing songs, reading aloud, or telling stories – actions that can significantly improve a baby’s ability to build vocabulary and develop their brains, according to early education experts. Campaign messages will appear on billboards, bus ads and in paid media spots. The donation from Granville Homes will serve as initial funding for the paid media campaign. Local organizations, churches, libraries and health care providers will help to distribute campaign materials. “I have often said that good public policy is the best philanthropy,” Granville President Darius Assemi said. “I hope our elected officials and policymakers will lead in these efforts, and join us as we talk, read and sing to our children. This will be a game changer for Fresno County.”

 URL to original article: http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/construction/15882-granville-homes-commits-100k-to-talking-is-teaching-campaign 

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