Activities
2nd Annual Literacy Festival: Plantando Palabras, Cosechando Futuros (Planting Words, Harvesting Futures)
The 2nd Annual Literacy Festival is scheduled for Saturday, November 20th at the Desert Hot Springs Library. The festival encourages youth and the entire community to discover the countless opportunities and benefits that can be attained through reading. The event features information booths from literacy programs in the valley, free books, interactive activities and cultural entertainment. View the "Save the Date" flyer.
2009 Holiday Book Drive
Give the special gift of literacy this season by donating to our annual holiday book drive. Our recipient this year is the Saul Martinez Elementary School (K-6) located in Mecca. They would appreciate children’s books for 5-12 year olds. We will be collecting books from December 1st thru January 8th. View the book drive flyer.
Please drop off new or used books or gift cards for book purchases at:
UCR Palm Desert Center
75-080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211
Please note: The University is closed for the holidays from December 19 thru January 3; however, our security guard will be able to accept donations during that time in the University Building only, which is the building closest to the back parking lot.
If you have any questions, please call or e-mail Ron Willison at (760) 834-0585 or ron.willison@ucr.edu .
Literacy Network Joins Facebook
The Coachella Valley Literacy Network is pleased to announce a presence in the world of social networking with the addition of the “Coachella Valley Literacy Network” page on Facebook.com.
Literacy providers, partners, parents, students and community members can get connected with the Literacy Network and learn about our educational programs, research projects, events and community outreach opportunities.
Become of fan by searching “Coachella Valley Literacy Network” on Facebook.com.
Inaugural Literacy Festival: Plantando Palabras, Cosechando Futuros
On Saturday, November 21, more than 500 people attended the Network's inaugural Literacy Festival at the Coachella Library in Coachella. The theme of the festival was “Literacy Festival: Plantando Palabras, Cosechando Futuros (planting words, harvesting futures).
The event included informative and interactive booths staffed by organizations that provide literacy services in the Coachella Valley. Attendees were given free books and enjoyed cultural entertainment and a guest appearance from award-winning author, distinguished poet, UCR Creative Writing professor Juan Felipe Herrera, In addition to the Coachella Valley Literacy Network, co-sponsors for the festival were the Riverside County Library System, First 5 Riverside and the EDA.
- View photos from the event
- "Literacy Festival Desert Sun Article Page 1"
- "Literacy Festival Desert Sun Article Page 2"
2008 Holiday Book Drive Promotes Literacy in Coachella Valley
UCR Palm Desert Center and the Coachell Valley Literacy Network donated approximately 750 books to the Torres Martinez Library in Thermal, which provides tribal members and the surrounding community with educational resources. Read about the program in an article in the Desert Sun from January 2009.
The University of California has been active in the Coachella Valley for nearly 100 years, initially supporting the agriculture industry and more recently impacting modern growth issues through research in areas such as transportation, air quality, and energy and water conservation. The UCR Palm Desert Center, established in 2005, provides graduate education to the Coachella Valley through its innovative Executive MBA and MFA degrees.