The Read Conmigo School Impact Grant funded a family engagement night, a student assembly, and staff professional development at the West Covina Unified campus led by Principal Chantal Welch.
WEST COVINA, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 1, 2026 / State Senator Susan Rubio joined representatives from the Kemper Foundation for a recent visit to Orangewood Elementary School, a Title I campus in the West Covina Unified School District (WCUSD), to see firsthand how a $10,000 Read Conmigo School Impact Grant has shaped the school’s Dual Language Spanish Immersion program.
The Read Conmigo School Impact Grant was awarded to Orangewood by the Kemper Foundation in recognition of the school’s commitment to advancing dual-language education and promoting biliteracy and bilingualism. Orangewood put the funding to work in three areas: a family engagement night, a student assembly, and professional development for staff. Each allocation was designed to deepen the academic and cultural reach of the Dual Language Spanish Immersion program.
During the visit, Senator Rubio and the Kemper Foundation team walked through Dual Language Spanish Immersion classrooms, met with teachers, and observed instruction. The day was organized as a working visit, with time for educators to talk through how the grant has translated into classroom practice and how families have responded to programming offered outside the school day.
Title I schools serve a high concentration of students from low-income households and qualify for federal funding tied to academic equity. To receive private foundation recognition of this scale, and to host a sitting state senator on the back of that recognition, places Orangewood among a small group of California elementary schools where biliteracy programming has drawn sustained outside investment.
Orangewood’s Dual Language Spanish Immersion program is built around developing fluency, literacy, and academic content knowledge in both Spanish and English from the earliest grades. The Read Conmigo grant supported family-facing programming that brought parents directly into the literacy work alongside professional development that gives teachers stronger tools for culturally relevant, bilingual instruction.
Principal Chantal Welch leads the Orangewood campus. The school is one of eight elementary schools in West Covina Unified and sits within a district whose elementary programming includes Spanish and Mandarin dual immersion pathways, the Arts in Motion program, and a network of summer arts and music offerings.
“When a school receives a $10,000 grant, the real question is always the same: what did you do with it? Orangewood gave State Senator Rubio and the Kemper Foundation team the answer in real classrooms, with real students and real teachers.”
Dr. Emy Flores, Superintendent, West Covina Unified School District
ABOUT WEST COVINA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
West Covina Unified School District serves students across the City of West Covina and surrounding communities. The district operates eight elementary schools and offers Dual Language Spanish Immersion at Orangewood Elementary, alongside dual immersion in Spanish and Mandarin at the secondary level. WCUSD’s Title I schools serve students and families across a range of socioeconomic backgrounds and partner with foundations, civic leaders, and community organizations to expand academic opportunity.
MEDIA CONTACT
Contact: Johanna Villareal, Public Information Officer
Phone: (626) 939-4600, ext. 1003
Email: jvillareal@wcusd.org
Web: wcusd.org
SOURCE: West Covina Unified School District
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
