by Lucinda M. Dugger

Mayors and council members across the country recently partnered with local schools, parents, business leaders and the community at large to celebrate back-to-school time with a first day of school campaign.

Launched in 1997, the First Day of School America campaign, sponsored by the First Day Foundation, is a practical way to get parents and other community members involved in schools and children?s education. With support from municipal officials, this year?s celebrations highlighted education as a key city priority, generated local support for schools and helped excite students about the upcoming school year.

Local officials in cities such as Portland, Ore.; Nashville, Tenn.; San Francisco; Charleston, S.C.; Aurora, Colo.; and Louisville, Ky., participated in First Day of School America activities. Through diverse celebrations, each city began the 2006-2007 school year with strong community support.

Portland
In Portland, Mayor Tom Potter visited three of the city?s six school districts. He greeted the freshman class of the state?s largest high school, ate breakfast with second-graders at one elementary school and then took a tour and ate lunch at another elementary school.

?A quality public education system is the economic engine that drives our city and our state,? said Mayor Potter. ?Investing in students today pays all of Oregon back tomorrow.?

Nashville
In Nashville, Mayor Bill Purcell sponsored the seventh annual Mayor?s First Day Festival. More than 21,000 community parents, students and teachers attended the event, which was paid for by 33 corporate sponsors and in-kind donations. The festival featured family fun, educational entertainment and free school supplies and snacks.

Community volunteers delivered free Krispy Kreme donuts to every public school teacher?s lounge on the morning of the first day of school. In addition, Dell awarded 18 new computers to the schools with the most PTA sign-ups during the first school week.

San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom toured five of his city?s schools, and met with several high school students to discuss the importance of staying in school. He also kicked off the school year by committing city dollars to a new Mandarin Immersion program at a public elementary school.

Mayor Newsom also joined the San Francisco Public Library in inviting students and other city residents to participate in the One City One Book: San Francisco Reads initiative ? a popular citywide book club.

Charleston
The City of Charleston celebrated the beginning of the new school year with Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. hosting the fourth annual First Day Festival. The free event provided more than 8,000 parents, guardians and community members with information about student support services, free school supplies and a variety of food and entertainment. Nearly 100 businesses donated supplies to make the festival a success.

Aurora
In Aurora, City Manager Ron Miller recognized that the first day of school can be stressful for both parents and students. He encouraged city staff who are parents of elementary and middle school age students to report to work one hour later than usual. The extra hour at home allowed parents to help their children get ready for school, take them to school and encourage a successful start to the school year.

Louisville
In Louisville, Mayor Jerry E. Abramson hosted the first community-wide Kindergarten Countdown Fair at Louisville Slugger Field to help students and their parents make a smooth transition into kindergarten. Nearly 400 entering kindergarteners, along with their parents and siblings, attended a free baseball game. They were joined by 700 other children who had completed the summer reading program at the Louisville Free Public Library.

In addition to free shirts, bags and school supplies, students and parents received information on immunizations, health screenings and important skills students should know before entering school. Leading up to the event, the city launched a 10-day radio campaign offering tips to kindergarten parents.

?Kindergarten is the start of something big,? Mayor Abramson said. ?I wanted our kids to get excited about the first day of school, and our parents to know how to prepare their children for this important milestone in their lives.?

Details: To find out more about how cities can participate in First Day of School America activities next year, visit www.firstday.org. To learn more about NLC?s efforts to help city leaders support education, visit www.nlc.org/iyef or contact Lucinda Dugger at dugger@nlc.org or (202) 626-3052.