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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRANSITION
FUNDER & COMMUNITY TALKING POINTS

In its 35th year, the Mission Learning Center is dedicated to strengthening its commitment to the children and families it serves.

v This pursuit has led us in a new direction, and one that necessitates a new form of leadership for the organization.

v While our proven programs and longstanding relationships within the community remain the cornerstone of our identity, the Mission Learning Center's leadership will focus on building institutional capacity through a stronger link between our programs and our financial stability and growth.

v We are excited about the new direction in which we are headed and look forward to identifying a leader for the Mission Learning Center that will solidify the institution's proud legacy as a vital resource for our community and its children.

Contact: Jim Baldwin
Board President, Mission Learning Center
(510) 523-7355

Dave Eggers and Ninive Clements Calegari
Receive the 2006 Wilma Espinoza Milagro Award

Mission Learning Center was pleased to present the 2006 Wilma Espinoza Milagro Award to Dave Eggers, Founder of 826 Valencia, and Ninive Clements Calegari, the organization's Executive Director. The award ceremony took place at the San Francisco Museum of Craft & Design on October 26th, 2006.

Named for its address in the Mission District, 826 Valencia helps students, ages 8-18, to develop their writing skills through tutoring, workshops, and storytelling. The organization was founded in 2002 by Dave Eggers, local and bestselling author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". Under the direction of founding Executive Director Ninive Clements Calegari, the organization has exposed children to the wonders of literacy through a mostly volunteer staff.

Wilma Espinoza, former longtime boardmember of Mission Learning Center, presented the award to Eggers and Calegari. Espinoza was instrumental in creating Mission Learning Center's Parent Empowerment Project in 1986, programming that helps parents build strong families and create a positive home environments where children can thrive. Due to her significant contributions to the organization and to the field of literacy, the award was named after her in 2005.

Dave Eggers expressed his thanks to Mission Learning Center and cited the collaboration between the two agencies as crucial to our children's success. "Over the summer 826 was very pleased to work together with the Mission Learning Center to create a summer camp, all about literacy and academic success. This collaboration was critical to the students we both serve. By combining the forces of two nonprofits - one focused on writing and the other on reading - we were able to prepare the students for their upcoming school year by offering a variety of innovative and engaging activities. The students learned about a variety of professions, took field trips, and created plays, chapbooks, and pop-up books. We know these students re-entered school this fall more prepared to face the work confidently and with new inspiration. We look forward to many more collaborations with MLC."

Collaborations are a key principle to how Mission Learning Center serves students. Boardmember Carolyn Kastner acknowledged JoAnn Edwards and the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design not only for hosting the Milagro Award event, but also for providing programming for MLC's students. During their exhibit of "Playing Around: Toys Designed by Artists", a gallery was set aside for MLC families to learn about toys, how they are made, and to create toys to take home.

To learn more, please visit 826 Valencia and the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design.