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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 18, 2006 Contact: Barbara McKenna COMMUNITY LEADER AND NBA ALL-STAR TO DISCUSS HIS WORK TO IMPROVE STRUGGLING COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATIONOnline version.STANFORD — Kevin Johnson, the founder of a successful community development organization in Sacramento and former point guard for the Phoenix Suns, will present a talk on Thursday, November 9, at 5 p.m. at Stanford University. Titled, "The St. HOPE Story: Transforming an Urban Community through Education," the talk will take place in the Schwab Residential Center, East Vidilakis Room and is free and open to the public. A reception follows.Johnson will discuss his work over the last 16 years as the head of St. HOPE, a nonprofit community development corporation. St. HOPE was established in 1989 as an after school program at Sacramento High School in the Oak Park neighborhood where Johnson grew up. St. HOPE has expanded since its inception and is the driving force behind the creation of a $1 million after-school facility; the 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center (a mixed-use community complex); and, since 2003, St. HOPE Public Schools, which provides high quality education to roughly 2,000 students through an elementary charter school and four autonomous small schools on the campus of Sacramento High School (Johnson’s alma mater).St. HOPE has flourished over the past decade, driven by Johnson's holistic vision of education and community as vitally linked. "We have grown from serving 12 students to now serving nearly 2,000 students, with a likely increase in years to come," Johnson said. "Our philosophy of combining public education with economic development will eventually empower the underserved neighborhood and improve the quality of life for its residents. I truly believe that."Until recently, St. HOPE's focus has been local, but the organization is now partnering with the New York City Department of Education to help revitalize the Choir Academy of Harlem, a struggling 500-student K-12 public school. "We’ve always intended to create a replicable model so that when we are ready we can expand into other communities and help affect change. That is our vision and the Choir Academy of Harlem will be our first expansion site," Johnson explained.Kevin Johnson is Chairman of the Board for St. HOPE and spokesman for STAND UP, a national campaign to improve education. He was raised in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento where St. HOPE is based. Johnson is a three-time NBA All-Star and was a league-leading scorer with the Phoenix Suns, where he played from 1988-98 and for part of 2000. Along with serving on numerous boards of directors, Johnson is a recipient of the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the Caring Institute’s “Most Caring American” award and an inductee in the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.The talk is a part of the Leadership Lecture Series, and is sponsored by the School Redesign Network, the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute and the Stanford University School of Education. For more information, call 650.723.8639 or email us.To receive information on upcoming events, join our mailing list.#####Editor's note: Photos of Kevin Johnson are available on request by contacting Barbara McKenna at bmckenna@stanford.edu or 650.725.8600. |