Press Release
For Immediate Release
September 28, 2012
Contact: Sarah Hersh, 510-271-0640 x105
Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan Donates Justin Bieber Oakland Concert Luxury Suite Tickets to Girls Incorporated of The Island City for Online Auction
Funds to benefit Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs at Girls, Inc.
Alameda, CA – Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan has donated luxury suite tickets for the upcoming October 6th Justin Bieber Oakland concert to Girls Incorporated of the Island City. Girls Inc. will host an online auction for the two tickets, and funds raised will help support their innovative activities to engage young women through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, most notably the Eureka! program. The newest undertaking in the STEM program is a $600,000 NASA-funded joint-venture with UC Berkeley’s Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Lab.
The tickets are being sold to the highest bidder on eBay and the auction will expire on October 3rd just after 6pm. The opening bid is $500. The raffle can be found at http://r.ebay.com/RvkI9V.
“Fans of Justin Bieber will go to any lengths to see him in concert. We are making it easy,” said Karen Kenney, Executive Director of Girls, Inc. of the Island City. “We are asking the community to help us fund the STEM program to ensure that we prepare as many girls as possible for careers in math, science and technology.”
Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan recognized the opportunity saying, “Girls Incorporated of the Island City has encouraged generations of young women to embrace their many strengths and explore the world’s range of possibilities to fullest extent without reservation. This auction not only provides an exciting opportunity for local Justin Bieber fans but also many life-changing opportunities for our local young women to build successful futures through participating in the STEM program.”
STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math” and programs at Girls Inc. of the Island City are dedicated to giving girls the opportunity to build confidence and pursue interests in these fields. The opportunity of a lifetime, STEM programs, like Girls Inc.’s Eureka! program, provide hands on vocational experience in fields where women are traditionally underrepresented.
At Girls Inc. of the Island City after one year in the program, girls reported greater confidence about their abilities to use technology and to do math well. They were more likely to agree that they “will use science often as an adult.” Their interest in a career in STEM increased.
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About Supervisor Wilma Chan
Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan represents the Third District. She is the Chair of the County’s Health Committee, member of the County’s Personnel, Administrative, and Legislative Committee, Budget Committee, and Unincorporated Services Committee. She served as the first woman Majority Leader of the California Assembly and was Chair of the Assembly Committee on Health. Supervisor Chan is the sixth woman to serve as a supervisor in the history of Alameda County. http://acgov.org/board/district3/
About Girls Inc. of the Island City
Since its founding in 1964, Girls Incorporated of the Island City has provided the only youth development services just for girls in Alameda. They have played an important role in recognizing that gender stereotyping still limits girls' potential and offer programs that are designed to be hands-on and interactive in order to encourage all girls to take risks and gain a sense of their own power and strength. http://www.girlsincislandcity.org/
