Sunday, May 14, 2006

A Neigborhood Investment

May 15, 2006

Los Angeles CA-I am here in Los Angeles to hold a press conference on SB 1649 with State Senator Richard Alarcon (D-20). SB 1649 will put in place a sustainable funding mechanism for outdoor education programs serving at-risk children. In California, a state with some of the most beautiful natural spots in the world only 15% of children get outside. This statistic becomes more disparaging when you realize there is a network of twenty residential outdoor schools in California that serve 5th grade children. The biggest impediment in getting young people to these residintial outdoor schools is transporation costs for buses. Sierra Club sponsored legislation in 2003, HB 1330 put in place a study administered by the California Department of Education that showed that students' who spent a week at a residential outdoor school improved their science test scores by 27%. SB 1649 is will give more programs the opportunity to get children outdoors by giving school districts and other non-profit groups the ability to apply for state funds to help get at-risk children outdoors. Sen. Alarcon's leadership helped SB 1649 pass out of the Senate Education Committiee on a 10-0 bipartisan vote but now we will see if the appropriations committiee sees that this neighborhood investment can benefit California's youth as well as all of our local communities.

SB 1649 is a chance for California politicians to help get a new generation of young people outdoors. We have the evidence that it helps students test scores and self-esteem now will see if they step up to this challenge?