[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 44 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DAVID BLOOME

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 1998

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to David 
Bloome, the creator of the Eco-Heroes Program, a community action 
program organized by the UCLA Policy Forum in conjunction with the U.S. 
Forest Service, the California Environment Project and the Los Angeles 
Unified School District. This program educates high school students 
about protecting the forests and encourages them to perform community 
service.
  William Inge wrote that ``The aim of education is not of facts but of 
values.'' David Bloome, for more than a decade, has managed community 
action programs that promote activism as well as awareness. His efforts 
had their genesis while he was still a student at UCLA when he 
initiated one of the largest curriculum reforms in the University's 
history. Working with the administration, faculty and students, David 
developed a new foreign language policy for all undergraduates.
  While on the staff of the UCLA Alumni Association, he conceived and 
implemented Target Literacy, a nationally recognized program that 
recruited university alumni as tutors in schools throughout California. 
His endeavor was awarded the 1991 National Education Gold Medal from 
the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and adopted as a 
model by universities across the nation. Under his direction, the UCLA 
Alumni Scholars Program was re-organized so that volunteer 
participation in its projects increased by 800%.
  The Eco-Heroes program is another example of David's dedication to 
motivating the youth of the community. This pilot program has made 
students more aware of their roles and responsibilities in the natural 
environment. Students from El Camino Real High School in the San 
Fernando Valley and Garfield High School in East Los Angeles have been 
given the opportunity to participate in a series of educational in-
class briefings and on-site projects in the Angeles National Forest. 
Not only were they educated about the environment, they also assisted 
with important tasks such as litter abatement and tree planting, 
including the removal of over 350 pounds of trash and recyclables. This 
program exemplifies David's tireless effort to ensure the education of 
future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring 
David Bloome for his service as an administrator at UCLA's School of 
Public Policy and Social Research, and for his continual work to foster 
action and education in the community. He is a role model for our 
education system and an example of how we must reach out to others 
around us if we wish to ensure a bright future for our children.

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