Power Lunch reading program means everybody wins.

SINCE its construction in 1999, Staples Center has been determined to be a good neighbor. Led by Director of Staples Center Foundation Jennifer Lynch, the center searched for ways to benefit local residents, eventually narrowing in on 10th Street Elementary a few blocks away.

Of the school's 1,289 students, over 1,000 are classified as English learners and all are considered socio-economically disadvantaged. Seeing a need for improvement and an opportunity to help, Staples Center adopted the school.

The foundation has donated money and countless services, which includes hosting the fifth grade graduation ceremony at the arena and starting a $10,000 sponsorship. Lynch also served as principal for a day.

Earlier this year, Lynch and the center found yet another way to help, joining Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP for the Everybody Wins! LA Power Lunch program. The program provides reading partners for disadvantaged elementary school children. Kirkland has been with the program since 2000 and Quinn Emanuel since 2003.

Employees from Staples and the two law firms are matched with students from low-income households who are either behind in reading, have low self-esteem, or have little exposure to English at home. Volunteers read with the students for one lunch hour each week to help foster a love of reading, while improving skills and self-esteem. Ideally, a volunteer will stay with the same student until elementary school graduation.

"Reading out loud is one of the most powerful ways for a child to improve their reading skills which are then the cornerstone of their education," said Craig Fleishman, executive director of Everybody Wins!

The program currently includes 156 volunteers and 105 students, allowing some of the volunteers who cannot make a weekly commitment to pair up.

"Folks always think they won't be able to commit an hour every week," Lynch said. "But for most of the volunteers, that hour becomes their favorite part of the week and they wouldn't miss it for the world."

Lynch has been reading with third-grader Hermelinda Barrera since joining the program.

"Hermelinda is fantastic," she said. "When I arrive, she's usually already in the library. I read to her while she eats her lunch, but she finishes far too fast because she's so eager to read to me."

Like many students at the school, Hermelinda is a non-native speaker. Lynch uses power lunches to help Hermelinda improve her English comprehension, sounding out difficult words and making sure she understands their meaning. They read at least two books a week, sometimes more.

Eric Emanuel, a partner of Quinn Emanuel, started volunteering in 2003 because he wanted to do something a little more positive than dispute resolution. He's been amazed by the children's eagerness to read.

"Before, if you had told me that a child would give up lunch recess to read in the library, I wouldn't believe it," he said. "But each week the kids come and they are happy to see you and they have very specific ideas of what they want to read. I think there's even a waiting list of kids who want to be in the program."

Both teachers and volunteers reported that students in the program showed improved comprehension skills and ability to articulate ideas, as well as an increased interest in books. Teachers also cited improved class participation and an increase in library use.

Students are not the only ones who benefit from this program.

"It's really eye opening to have people who make a ton of money and send their kids to private schools spend some time at 10th Street elementary," Emanuel said. "These children are probably representative of the majority of children in Los Angeles Unified School District. It's a good reminder to see how they live."

BY VICTORIA DEGTYAREVA Staff Reporter