Ribbon-Cutting and Empathy Reading Program Demonstration at Golden Empire Elementary School
Sacramento, CA (October 5, 2016) – RedRover, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Sacramento, California, will join IKEA at Golden Empire Elementary School on Tuesday, October 11 at 10:30 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the Sacramento City Unified School District school’s newly transformed classroom space. This classroom, as well as the staff lounge, was remodeled as part of IKEA’s Life Improvement Challenge.
Golden Empire has fully adopted the RedRover Readers program, which is designed to teach children empathy. The morning will include a demonstration of this social and emotional learning program and RedRover’s new e-book for empathy app. Both the ribbon cutting and the program demonstration will take place in the renovated classroom space that will serve as a setting for students to collaborate, practice life skills such as perspective-taking and critical thinking, and learn respect and compassion.
“RedRover is passionate about building empathy skills as a way of preventing animal cruelty and abuse,” said RedRover President and CEO Nicole Forsyth. “These skills are valuable for kids not only in affecting their interactions with animals all their lives, but also in helping create positive connections with people and possible school culture. We’re excited to move forward with Golden Empire Elementary School, with IKEA’s help, to continue fostering social and emotional learning in more students.”
“Creative partnerships like this one with RedRover and IKEA play an integral role in our school district being able to provide the most engaging environments possible for our students to be successful,” said José L. Banda, Superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District. “We are grateful for this opportunity to build a learning environment that supports this innovative program at Golden Empire.”
IKEA wants to play a part in creating a better everyday life for the many people and communities where IKEA customers and co-workers live and work. While IKEA acts globally to improve the lives of people in developing countries thru the IKEA Foundation, it also strives to be a good neighbor in its local communities. The IKEA Life Improvement Project is one of various initiatives IKEA has implemented to make a difference closer to home.
Media contact
Keleigh Friedrich
Communications Coordinator II
916.429.2457 ext. 317
Hans Greenawalt
IKEA West Sacramento
916 376-0597 ext. 1336
RedRover helps animals and people in crisis from all over the country, and seeks to enhance empathy as a critical 21st Century skill that builds positive connections with others. The innovative RedRover Readers program helps kids in classrooms across the continent understand the behavior and emotions of animals and people and develop empathy skills. For more information, please visit www.RedRover.org/Readers
About RedRover
RedRover brings animals from crisis to care and strengthens the bond between people and animals through a number of unique outreach programs. Our volunteer team shelters and cares for animals displaced by natural disasters and reconnects them to owners. We also shelter and care for animals rescued from puppy mills, hoarding cases and other significant abuse situations. With RedRover Readers, we help children explore the bond between people and animals through stories and discussion. RedRover is a four star rated charity by Charity Navigator.
About IKEA Group
The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 328 IKEA Group stores in 28 countries. Additionally, there are 40 IKEA stores run by franchises. There are 41 IKEA stores in the U.S. In FY 15, IKEA Group had 771 million visitors to the stores and 1.9 billion visitors to IKEA.com. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.com, facebook.com/IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA, http://pinterest.com/IKEAUSA/, www.youtube.com/IKEAUSA, www.theshare-space.com, www.theshare-space.com/en/Blog
About SCUSD:
The Sacramento City Unified School District is the 13th largest K-12 district in California, serving 43,000 students on 77 campuses. SCUSD’s Board-approved mission is to graduate students as competitive lifelong learners, prepared to succeed in a career and higher education institution of their choice to secure gainful employment and contribute to society.