Oakland City Councilperson Desley Brooks To Host 4th Annual Schools'Out Family & Children's Resource Fair

School will soon be out for summer. Do you know what your child will be doing? Do you need information on summer camps or after-school programs? Wouldn't it be great to have your child enrolled in a summer program before the prime spaces are filled to capacity?

Schools' Out has the answer. Schools' Out Family and Children's Resource Fair is the brainchild of Councilperson Desley Brooks. Schools' Out brings together close to 100 nonprofit and governmental programs and resources to arm parents with a wealth of information for their children's summer program planning.

Moveover, Schools' Out gives parents the unique opportunity to directly access service providers for immediate program enrollment. The 4th Annual Schools' Out Family and Resource Fair is the perfect way for parents to get a head start on the summer.

This year the event will be held on Friday, April 7, 2006, noon - 6:00 p.m. at the Eastmont Town Center (Ground Floor), located at 73rd and Bancroft Avenue in Oakland, CA. The event is open and free for children of all ages.

Brooks states, "April is just a couple of months before school is out for the summer. Timing is everything and Schools' Out is provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to get their children squared away for the summer."

"Knowledge of, and access to, quality after-school programs can play a pivotal role in the lives of youth today," continues Councilperson Brooks. "Through this resource fair I hope to increase the number of children and young adults enrolled in positive activities; and to engage our community in youth programming opportunities through information, education and collaboration."

For the second year in a row Councilperson Brooks is partnering with Alameda County Social Services Children and Family Services Division. Through this partnership a whole section of the Fair will be dedicated to Foster Care, Kinship Care, Adoption and other social services issues.

Past Schools' Out program partners include Leadership Excellence; DUSTY Digital Story Telling; Head Start; Destiny Arts; Even Start; Boys & Girls Club of America; The Oakland Police Athletic League, Museum of Children's Art; Oakland Aquatic Center; Chabot Space and Science Center; Youth Uprising; the YMCA of the East Bay; Oakland Unified School District; Girls', Inc.; and many more.

To sign-up or for more information about this exciting event, please contact Councilperson Desley Brooks at (510) 238-7006 or email dbrooks@oaklandnet.com.

Vendor applications are also being accepted and are available on Councilperson Brooks' web page located at www.oaklandnet.com. Spaces are limited. The deadline is March 20, 2006.