December 15, 2005

Riverside, CA – The La Sierra University Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team of 25 students held Christmas in Storyland for 70 local Head Start children ages three and four. Each child received a book along with goody bags and a chance to talk with Santa.

"This is our longest-standing project since the beginning of SIFE on our campus (fall of 1991)," says Heather Miller, La Sierra University SIFE Faculty Fellow. SIFE has a commitment to enriching the lives of children and has a goal of teaching others how to succeed in a global marketplace.

Gloria Houstonas book The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree centered the theme of the Christmas in Storyland event. SIFE students and volunteers read books to the Head Start children, coordinated activity stations and handed out goody bags.

"I wanted this event to be both fun and educational," said Kristin Pennington, La Sierra University graduate student in the School of Education and coordinator of the SIFE event. "Having something beneficial for the parents was important, too."

During the Christmas in Storyland event for children, SIFE also held hour-long financial literacy workshop for parents taught by La Sierra University SIFE alumni Andreas Andreou and Melissa Mullen.

"The event presented a great opportunity to offer the parents new information about family finance, saving and investing," says Miller. "We have a ton of fun doing the project every year. Kristin's organizational skills really improved how this year's event took place."