Westbury Music Fair Hosts MPowering Kids Students

Clear Channel Entertainment Rewards Fourth and Fifth Graders For Their Academic Gains In The Program; Event Is The First Live Theatre Experience For Many Students

Westbury, NY, January 5, 2004 – Drexel Avenue School fourth and fifth graders in MPowering Kids™, a non-profit after-school program that provides tutoring, mentoring, and cultural enrichment from grades four through twelve, were recently treated to a free show at Westbury Music Fair. In appreciation of academic strides the students have made through the MPowering Kids program, Westbury Music Fair waived the normal fee of $450 to allow the 25 students and five adult staff/volunteer chaperones to attend a free matinee production of the hit classic, The Wizard of Oz.

“Westbury Music Fair is committed to introducing children at a young age to live entertainment so they can learn to appreciate and enjoy these experiences throughout their lives,” said Jason Stone, executive vice president Clear Channel Entertainment, which owns and operates Westbury Music Fair.

First Live Theatre Show

For many MPowering Kids students, the show was their first live theatre experience, and the youngsters were amazed at how close they were to the actors during the performance. After the show, the students got even closer to the actors as they journeyed back stage to get up-close-and-personal with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion.   

“We appreciate the generosity of Westbury Music Fair and its help in allowing our students to attend one of their shows,” said Susan Marshall, founder and president of MPowering Kids. “While MPowering Kids focuses on enhancing academic development, we also recognize the importance of providing our students with cultural enrichment.”

Academic Gains By Students

Currently in its second year, MPowering Kids works intensively with students from their fourth-grade year through their high school graduation, offering nine years of programs and opportunities to acquire the skills, habits, and attitudes necessary to succeed in college and in life. Not only does it follow a student through the twelfth grade, but it also takes on a new group of fourth graders at the beginning of each successive school year, growing the program exponentially.   

Both the inaugural class of fourth graders that entered the MPowering Kids program in the 2002-2003 school year, as well as the subsequent class, have shown marked improvements in their grades. After only one year in the program:

·        81% of last year's fourth-graders improved their grades in both reading and math over their third-grade scores

·        75% improved their grades in writing

Improvements in reading, math and writing are all-critical areas for New York standardized testing.

About MPowering Kids

MPowering Kids is a non-profit charitable organization that is "promising help for promising students"™ with after-school programs focused on tutoring, mentoring, and cultural enrichment in under-served communities. After researching where a program such as MPowering Kids would have the most impact, the program was established at Drexel Avenue School with the full support of the Westbury School District. Since its inception, MPowering Kids has continually worked closely with the school’s teachers and administrators to enhance the academic promise of students. For additional information, please visit the MPowering Kids web site at www.mpoweringkids.org.

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The MPowering Kids program is made possible through the generous support of individual and corporate sponsors. For additional information about MPowering Kids, please click on the About Us section or click on the Donations page to help support MPowering Kids.

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