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 2010 have been announced, bringing the total number of grants to 146 since the Initiative began. This is the 15th  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 $3.5 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 86 Texas cities, and the Initiative is still going strong.  This year, ten grants totaling almost $500,000 were awarded.

“A child who can read is a child who can succeed in school and in life.  Parents demonstrate by participation and example that reading is a joy and books are treasures,” said Mrs. Laura Bush.  “The impact these family programs have cannot be measured simply by the number of participants, but more accurately by the depth of change and lasting impact in communities 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 Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy receives the majority of its funding from the annual fundraisers, A Celebration of Reading, held in Houston and Dallas.  These literacy events, at which best selling 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 winners for 2010 are:

New Grants:

Krum Independent School District, Krum

Let's Read will add a technology component to adult ESL classes.  Reading instruction will feature ebooks and smart boards as well as software designed to develop literacy skills.  PACT activities will be designed to build from the recognition of the importance of reading at home to the actual use of reading strategies during reading time.  

AVANCE – Waco

The Family Literacy Project will provide a family literacy program for limited English speaking families who are in need of an all inclusive program. Children will receive instruction from two additional early childhood instructors while parents receive English instruction and comprehensive parenting classes.

Austin Learning Academy

The Family Literacy Project will provide a work-focused family literacy program including an expansion to a new location.  The Texas Industry Specific English as a Second Language (TISESL) curriculum will be used as a framework to incorporate work-related activities into all components of family literacy. 

Bowie Independent School District

Reading to Learn will use technology tools to guide literacy learning through multi-sensory reading instruction based on each student's individual needs.  This project will be designed to include working parents in its evening classes and to provide extended hours for availability of technology resources.

Dallas Public Library - Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Literacy Project will expand an adult education program into a family literacy project by providing teachers and tutors for low-income area families.  The focus will be to help parents achieve their GED and to become involved in their children's education.  Classes will feature technology and individualized instruction. 

Crystal City Independent School District 

The Even Start Family Literacy Program will create a lending library for families that will be available during extended hours.  Trained staff will be available to help families as they use the library and its resources.  Families will also receive literacy instruction as they enjoy the large selection of new library books. 

Second-Year Sustainability Grants 

Literacy Council of Tyler

The Family Learning Center of Tyler will continue to provide a small student to teacher ratio for program participants.  Additional staff will enable an individualized instructional approach.  Children will benefit from a collaboration with pre-service teachers from Tyler Junior College, who will provide one on one tutoring.   

Deer Park Independent School District, Pasadena

The Deer Park Family Literacy Program will use second year grant funds to add "The Incredible Years" curriculum, which promotes healthy family relationships.  As a result, families will be more successful in developing literacy skills and learning from one another.  As teen mothers attend parenting classes, they will learn the importance of providing literacy experience for their child.  

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, Rosenberg 

The Partners/Share family literacy program will continue to educate a large number of participants at several sites.  Parents will receive information that will empower them to be advocates for their child's education. As parents attend adult education classes, they will also learn reading skills that they can use with their own children. 

Northside Independent School District, San Antonio

Northside's Project Tumaini will begin a second year of working with refugees as it expands to an additional elementary school.  Refugees, called Newcomers, will not only learn the language of their new country, but also many skills they will need in order to become productive citizens.  This year's focus will be on learning about the surrounding community. 

More information about the Barbara Bush Texas Fund can be found at www-tcall.tamu.edu.