AIR NEW ZEALAND SENDS OFF BRITWEEK & LA’s BEST STUDENT ESSAY WINNERS AS YOUNG AMBASSADORS TO LONDON
F our girls and four boys who attend LA’s BEST After School Enrichment Program, started today on an all expenses-paid trip to London, England courtesy of BritWeek, Air New Zealand, the five-star Athenaeum Hotel and several other sponsors as part of winning the Joy of Reading Book Club and Essay Contest. The Book Club and Essay Contest was conceived by BritWeek’s Bob Peirce and Sharon Harroun Peirce in partnership with LA’s BEST as a way to introduce students in the after school program to classic British children’s literature.
"There is no education like travel for any child. Giving them a glimpse of another culture will enlarge their view of life on this planet,” said Henry Winkler, one of the judges of the essay contest.
As part of the Joy of Reading, students at 84 LA’s BEST sites formed “Classic British Book Clubs” and chose titles from a list of children’s classics written by British authors. The books were then read aloud by both students and adult staff to expose all children in the clubs to the stories. After completing the book, students wrote essays about which character they most identified with in the story. Before the contest began, students were informed that there was a very exciting prize for contest winners, but were not informed it was a trip to London.
From the participating schools, there were more than 450 submissions, which were narrowed down to the top eight winners by judges: Rhea Perlman, Jane Seymour, Henry Winkler, Chair of the BritWeek Board and former British Consul General in Los Angeles Bob Peirce, author Karen Winnick and Air New Zealand’s Kathryn Gregory, who all generously donated their time to the project. The eight winners are: Pyper Abrigo, who attends Limerick Elementary in Canoga Park, Neilwon Andrews from Loren Miller El. in South Los Angeles, Nancy Bonilla and Cartier Judge from Allesandro El. in Elysian Valley, Andres Garcia from Euclid El. in Boyle Heights, Justin Linares from Maurice Sendak El. in North Hollywood, Jethro Valenzuela from Glen Alta El. in Lincoln Heights and Martha Violeta Valle from Fair Avenue El. in North Hollywood.
In London, the students will visit Buckingham Palace, ride on the famous London Eye, tour the Tower of London, see performances of the West End musicals The Wizard of Oz and Shrek the Musical, attend a reception at London’s City Hall with Mayor Boris Johnson, and more.
LA’s BEST provides students with the greatest needs and fewest resources in Los Angeles with homework help and high-quality enrichment, academic and recreation opportunities they may not otherwise receive. The program is free of cost to students. Among the unique opportunities provided to nearly 300,000 children in Los Angeles over 23 years by LA’s BEST, this is the first time the organization has sent students abroad.
About LA’s BEST
LA's BEST – Better Educated Students for Tomorrow – is a nationally recognized after school education, enrichment and recreation program serving 28,000 children with the greatest needs and fewest resources throughout the City of Los Angeles. LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program provides a safe haven for children ages 5 to 12 at 180 elementary school sites each day during the critical hours after school — at no cost to parents. Established in 1988, LA’s BEST is a partnership including the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the private sector. For more information, please visit www.lasbest.org
About BritWeek
BritWeek, in its fifth year, highlights the many British contributions to cultural and business life in California, especially Los Angeles, including art and design, literature, music, film and television, technology, business, sport, food and fashion. The program ranges from star-studded red carpet events, to concerts and exhibits, to conferences and symposiums and literacy contests. For more information, visit http://www.britweek.org/.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand offers more direct flights to the South Pacific than any other airline, including non-stop flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Vancouver to New Zealand. In addition to flying non-stop Los Angeles-London, Air New Zealand’s route between London and Hong Kong now allows customers to fly round-the-world on one airline. Air New Zealand’s most recent accolades include “Best Business Class to Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific” for the third straight year by Business Traveler Magazine (USA) “Best Transpacific Airline” at the 26th Airline Industry Awards and “Best Passenger Service” award by Air Transport World magazine. Flight and vacation essentials can be booked on http://www.airnewzealand.com/ or by calling 1-800-262-1234 in the USA and 1-800-663-5494 in Canada. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance network.
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the seventh busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering more than 565 daily flights to 81 domestic cities and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 65 international destinations on over 75 carriers. In 2010, LAX served over 59 million passengers, processed over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at nearly $84 billion, and handled 575,835 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs). LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.