#TSRPositiveImages: #Oprah is always one to make a good investment and this time, she’s investing in the future.
She dropped a half-million-dollar bag on West Side High School’s “Lights On” program. The #Newark, New Jersey, high school program and the school’s principal, #AkbarCook, have been celebrated in the community for giving students a safe place to hang out and be among friends on Friday nights.
Oprah surprised Cook and nearly 400 of his students Friday night with her pledge to fund the program through the summer, @cbsnews reports.
“So I heard about West Side and all the great things that are happening here,” Winfrey told the students. “So I’m going to leave here tonight and leave you with a half a million dollars.”
You know aunty Oprah also came through with the gifts for the kids! She gave each student a Shop Rite gift card and hosted a pizza party for them with her “O, That’s Good!” line of pizza.
She said she was inspired to give to the program after watching a report about the school and all the good the program was doing for the youth of the community on CBS Evening News.
Akbar Cook is also not new to this viral fame and is a celebrated educator in both New Jersey and across the nation. We previously reported on Cook adding a laundry room to his school for his students as many kids were missing school because they were getting bullied for wearing dirty clothes.
You can read about it here.
“I think we really put the microscope on basic needs of kids. Everyone wants the high test scores, everyone wants them to perform well. But if the kid doesn’t feel confidence in just coming to school, being that person we know they can be, then what are we doing,” Cook told reporter Jeff Glor.
We’re happy to see Oprah invest in something so worthwhile! Stay here for the latest, Roommates.
TSR STAFF: Christina C! @cdelafresh
