Founded in 1999 by Mary Wright Shaw, Molly McCrory and Jean Bacigalupi, Reading Partners has expanded out of the Bay Area and throughout California. This non-profit organization partners with low-income schools to help transform struggling youngsters into confident readers that are excited about learning.
Each reading center is located on a school campus and operates out of a classroom or library. The centers are staffed by a Reading Partners Site Coordinator who works with the school to provide individualized reading instruction while recruiting and training volunteer tutors.
The Valley Way location is the organization's central office. It can be found in the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits.
Darrell Leffler's Academy of Music has been teaching music for for eight years in Milpitas. It offers music lessons for piano, vocal and guitar. Its other location is on 3237 S. White Road in San Jose, and it has been in the music instruction business for more than 30 years. It offers both private and group lessons for students age 4 to 17. There are also voice lessons for adults.
In addition to music instruction, the school has a Maestro Darrell's Music Workshop and a children's television show on a local channel. Call for more information.
Its motto is: "Music is a wonderful thing to share."
At Safari Kid, there is a "jungle" of activities and academia available to children. Curriculum is based on a child's ability to master certain skills and tasks, rather than based on his or her age. The website boasts that sometimes four-year-olds can read the newspaper. Creativity is also fostered at Safari Kid, where kids can be involved in Bollywood dance, a game of chess or even the Hindi language.
Power Math offers classes, summer programs and tutoring services that help children gain a proficiency in mental arithmetic in a lively and engaging environment. The skills gained through Power Math's abacus-based techniques can improve a child's performance across a range of disciplines, including concentration, memory, powers of observation, reading and writing. Director Huey-Chiang Huang has extended her teaching and methods to programs at many schools in the Bay Area.