The LeapFrog SchoolHouse products will be used in the Program’s new Reading Center and Child Development Centers. The LeapTrack system enables educators to quickly assess each student’s skills in relation to state standards, pinpoint areas for improvement, and create individualized learning paths for students.

“Oakland is fortunate to have dedicated police officers who volunteer to help children achieve reading success,” said Bob Lally, president of LeapFrog SchoolHouse. “We are delighted to continue to support this wonderful program, which has helped thousands of children in our community. Our products are helping students learn in more than 15,000 classrooms. We are pleased to donate the LeapTrack system to PAL’s Literacy Program.”

Oakland’s Literacy Program was the first of its kind among California police activity leagues when it launched 12 years ago. In addition to the new Reading Center, PAL operates 14 Child Development Centers throughout Oakland serving inner-city children from Kindergarten through Grade Five, reaching more than 400 children each year.

Officer Margaret Dixon, who founded and still coordinates the Oakland PAL program, felt it was important to add an academic component the League’s activities when she first starting working with LeapFrog SchoolHouse two years ago.

“Since strong reading skills are the first step to a successful life, helping a child to stand and read in front of his peers for the first time is the best gift we could give him,” Dixon said. “It takes a whole village to raise a child, and LeapFrog SchoolHouse has joined that village, helping us to reach out to make sure that every child in the inner city has the opportunity to learn how to read. And now, with the LeapTrack system, we’ll be able to figure out right away how well a child is doing and have the data we need to help bring up his reading skills even more.”

LeapFrog SchoolHouse’s support of the PAL program began in 2001, with a donation of LeapPad® Classroom Systems. In 2002, additional LeapPad platforms and interactive books were given to the program. On July 24th, LeapFrog SchoolHouse donated a LeapTrack™ Assessment & Instruction System, 210 LeapPad books (five books for each of the three classrooms at the 14 Centers), 28 sets of Read-Aloud Books for each of the four-year-old classrooms in the Centers, and 70 additional LeapPad platforms.

LEAPFROG SCHOOLHOUSE, the LeapFrog SchoolHouse logo, LEAPPAD, QUANTUM PAD and LEAPTRACK are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.

Donation received July 28, 2003 by Oakland Police Activities League