Jewish Community Relations Council Of San Francisco Marin & Peninsula

JEWISH COMMUNITY PUBLIC AFFAIRS

INSTITUTE FOR CURRICULUM SERVICES (ICS)DELIVERED 164 IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TEACHER TRAININGS TO 1,761 SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATORS WHO WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE: 99.3% OF PARTICIPANTS SAID THEY STRONGLY AGREE OR AGREE THAT THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORKSHOP TOPIC AS A RESULT OF THE ICS TRAINING; 99.5% SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE ICS WORKSHOP TO OTHERS; 90.8% SAID THEY WERE VERY LIKELY OR LIKELY TO USE ICS'S RESOURCES IN THE CLASSROOM.ICS ENGAGED WITH PUBLISHERS, WHO ACCEPTED 347 ICS-RECOMMENDED EDITS.

THE JEWISH COALITION FOR LITERACY (JCL) WAS FOUNDED IN 1999 TO HELP STRUGGLING YOUNG READERS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS BY HARNESSING THE TALENTS AND COMMITMENT OF VOLUNTEER TUTORS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS. IN A TYPICAL YEAR, JCL RECRUITS, TRAINS AND MATCHES VOLUNTEER READING TUTORS WITH CHILDREN IN MORE THAN 50 UNDERSERVED PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN SAN FRANCISCO, MARIN AND THE EAST BAY, AND ON THE PENINSULA. TO PROMOTE LITERACY AT HOME, JCL PROVIDES PARENT WORKSHOPS AND HELPS BUILD CHILDREN'S PERSONAL LIBRARIES TO ENHANCE THEIR READING AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS. IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, JCL HAS REINVENTED ITS MODEL TO TRAIN TUTORS FOR ONLINE TUTORING, RECONNECT STUDENTS AND TUTORS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE AND DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO REACH CHILDREN OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL SETTING. THE HALLMARK OF JCL'S APPROACH REMAINS BUILDING STUDENTS' RELATIONSHIP WITH CARING ADULTS BY READING ALOUD TOGETHER, EMBARKING ON A SHARED LEARNING JOURNEY WITH MANY AVENUES FOR EXPLORING THE WORLD. TUTORS INTEGRATE CAREFULLY SELECTED BOOKS, ART PROJECTS, GAMES AND THEIR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES INTO TUTORING SESSIONS TO PIQUE CHILDREN'S CURIOSITY AND SUSTAIN THEIR ATTENTION. THESE EFFORTS CREATE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT ALSO FOSTERS STUDENTS' LITERACY AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH BY PROVIDING A SAFE SPACE TO MAKE MISTAKES, THINK CRITICALLY AND DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM. TUTORS AND STUDENTS FIND IMMENSE FULFILLMENT IN THEIR WEEKLY ENCOUNTERS, DELIGHTING IN PROGRESS AND NEW DISCOVERIES.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS: JCRC'S PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS EFFORTS ARE CENTRAL TO THE ORGANIZATION'S WORK IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, JCRC SEEKS TO ADVANCE ITS MISSION AND EXPAND THE IMPACT OF ITS WORK. THE CORE PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMS OF JCRC INCLUDE: ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS, EVENTS AND PROGRAMS, ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATION EFFORTS, AND MOBILIZATION.- ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS JCRC STAFF MEET WITH HUNDREDS OF ELECTED, CIVIC AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO INTRODUCE OUR WORK/MISSION, BUILD BRIDGES, EDUCATE ABOUT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND RISING ANTISEMITISM, ASSIST IN RESPONDING TO ISSUES IMPACT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, AND COLLABORATE ON FUTURE WORK.- EVENTS/PROGRAM JCRC HOSTS A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY EVENTS TO CONNECT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND THE BROADER BAY AREA. THESE EVENTS INCLUDE PASSOVER SEDERS, EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING EVENTS, HANUKAH CANDLE LIGHTING, AND PROGRAMS HIGHLIGHT IMPACT OF RISING ANTISEMITISM.- COMMUNICATION JCRC LAUNCHED A DIGITAL COMMUNICATION EFFORT TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT RISING ANTISEMITISM. IN ADDITION, JCRC CONTINUES TO SHARE RESOURCES, BACKGROUNDERS, UPDATES AND TALKING POINTS WITH ITS CIVIC, ELECTED, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.- MOBILIZATION JCRC'S WORK IS SUPPORTED BY 50+ SYNAGOGUES AND JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE ON AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (THE "ASSEMBLY"). IN ALL THE EFFORT MENTIONED ABOVE, JCRC STAFF TAKE STEPS TO MOBILIZE THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND ENSURE OUR ADVISORY ORGANIZATIONS PARTNER WITH US IN THIS WORK.

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