PRESS RELEASE: Dreams from My Father, A Book Group about Barack Obama
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—AUGUST 1, 2008—During the summer break this August, City Youth Now and San Francisco Public Library teamed up for a three week long book group focusing on Barak Obama's autobiography, Dreams From My Father. Two units at the Juvenile Justice Center read the book and were asked to look at ways they could relate to Senator Obama's life story. Each of the weekly sessions commenced with a list of vocabulary words, fact sheets, and current newspaper articles about Obama. Providing additional information to the youth increased retention and created energetic and thought provoking sessions.
During the final session that took place over pizza, the youth were asked to list things they respected about Obama. Their responses included, "He went on with life-without a father," "He stopped doing drugs," and "He changed his life." When asked what they learned about Obama from the book group, many of their answers included, "He went out and tried different things and didn't give up." Despite the difficulty of the book, the detained youth were able to connect with Obama and his life experiences in their own way.
About City Youth Now:
City Youth Now supports youth in the San Francisco foster care and juvenile justice systems by providing funds for services and programs that promote stability and personal growth. www.cityyouthnow.org
###
Press Contact:
Brittany Jarabek
Executive Director
City Youth Now
brittany@cityyouthnow.org
