The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas: Recent Grantees
The recipients of The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas grants for 2008 have been announced, bringing the total number of grants to 129 since the Initiative began. This is the 13th year of providing grants for family literacy projects in Texas. Launched at the Governor's Mansion in Austin in 1996 by Honorary Chair Laura Bush, The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative has awarded over $3 million to create or expand family literacy programs in which parents, as well as their children, build their literacy skills by reading and learning together. To date, thousands of families have benefited from participation in these innovative programs in 66 Texas cities, and the Initiative is still going strong. This year, ten grants totaling $500,000 were awarded.
"Children who are strong readers have the one skill most essential to success in school and in life. Parents can help their children become better readers by reading with them," said Mrs. Laura Bush. "These family programs make a wonderful difference in the lives of many children and parents across Texas."
A program of The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy, The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas awards grants of up to $50,000 to public and private non-profit organizations that work within the family unit. Technical assistance for the new grantees is provided by the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A & M University in College Station.
The grants of up to $50,000 each are given to help create family literacy programs by building on existing literacy programs that work with only one generation, i.e. children or adults, so that complete family literacy programs can be created. The grant program also funds innovative projects within existing family literacy programs, as well as replication of successful family literacy programs with new populations or in new locations. Partnerships with other community groups are strongly encouraged.
Past grantees include community-based organizations, libraries, school districts, community colleges, universities, charter schools, pediatric medical clinics, prison programs, Head Start and Even Start programs, as well as other organizations.
The 2009 guidelines and application will be available in January and can be downloaded at www-tcall.tamu.edu or www.barbarabushfoundation.org.
The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy, based in Houston, Texas, receives the majority of its funding from the annual fundraisers, A Celebration of Reading, held in Houston and Dallas. These literacy events, at which bestselling authors read from their works, also fund The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, the national foundation of which Barbara Bush is the Honorary Chair.
The grant recipients for 2008 are:
Austin Community College, Austin
The ACC Family Literacy Partnership in collaboration with Communities in Schools will expand the current family literacy project by incorporating computer based instruction and basic computer skills at the Lucy Read Demonstration School in Austin.
Austin Learning Academy, Austin
The Family Literacy Project will replicate its family literacy model at a new site, Langford Elementary, and will include an additional Early Childhood Instructor and Parent Specialist.
AVANCE'-Waco
Proyecto de Literatura Familia/Family Literacy Project will serve 65 mothers and their children who are living below poverty level. The project will add a literacy facilitator who will make home visits, and ten laptops will be purchased that can be taken home by families.
Bryan Independent School District, Bryan
The BISD Project Connect will provide families with opportunities to visit local museums and sites of interest as a means of increasing the oral language development of preschool children.
Carrizo Springs CISD
The PACT for Literacy Program project will expand the existing program to two new sites, add a parent/child together component, and provide transportation for families from two outlying communities.
Community Action, Inc. of Hays, Caldwell & Blanco Counties - San Marcos
Caldwell County Head Start Family Literacy Project will provide Head Start staff with family literacy training and offer parent/child activities at two outlying sites.
Corpus Christi Independent School District, Corpus Christi
The Family Literacy Program will add a Family Literacy Support Specialist to the staff and implement a home visiting component to their long standing program at the Corpus Christi Adult Learning Center.
Mi Escuelita Preschool, Dallas
The Together We Learn project will expand Mi Escuelita's well-established family literacy program to an additional site.
Mt. Pleasant Independent School District, Mt. Pleasant
The Growing Minds: Mentes Crecientes project will offer Head Start families a comprehensive family literacy program which includes the opportunity to build a home library.
Plano ISD Education Foundation, Plano
The Plano Family Literacy Program will increase the number of families served and resume home visits which will provide literacy materials and activities to families.
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