Children's Carnival to Celebrate National School Choice Week, Promote Scholarships

Institute for Justice to raise awareness about DC Opportunity Scholarship Program

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Jan 19, 2019, 08:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Children will be treated to games, prizes, food, entertainment, and rides while their parents learn about life-changing scholarship opportunities at the Institute for Justice's annual carnival in celebration of National School Choice Week on Saturday, Jan. 26.

Each year, IJ and Serving Our Children bring members of the D.C. community together for this much-anticipated event, where information is shared with parents about the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides low-income families scholarships to attend K-12 private schools. In order to give moms and dads time to fill out paperwork with SOC, the administrators of the program, the carnival provides their children free fun and entertainment, such as a 27' inflatable slide, funnel cake and cotton candy, 10 games, balloon artists, face painting, and more.

About 1,000 children and parents are expected to attend this year's carnival, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC).

This event is planned to coincide with the history-making celebration of National School Choice Week 2019, which will feature more than 40,000 school choice events across all 50 states.

"Every year, the Institute for Justice teams up with Serving Our Children to host our annual carnival to celebrate D.C.'s scholarship program for low-income families," said Christina Walsh, director of activism and coalitions at the Institute for Justice. "We invite parents who participate in the Opportunity Scholarship Program to celebrate with them, as well as non-participating families to learn more about this life-changing opportunity. Kids are treated to games and activities while parents get to learn more about the OSP, and apply for or renew their scholarships. This year, we'll also be launching a new initiative that will provide more support to families in the program who need assistance applying to schools that best suit their children's needs."

This event is organized by the Institute for Justice, a national pubic interest, civil liberties law firm that advocates in the courts of law and public opinion to ensure that families are able to choose the best education for their children.

As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 20 through 26, 2019, more than 40,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com.

SOURCE National School Choice Week