-The Maine Family Literacy Initiative
-The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas
-The Florida Family Literacy Initiative
-The Maryland Family Literacy Initiative
The Maine Family Literacy Initiative
The Maine Family Literacy Initiative is a program of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy designed to support the development and/or improvement of family literacy throughout the state of Maine. Family literacy programs must provide adult literacy, early childhood, and intergenerational literacy services to families with at least one adult reading at less than a 12th grade level and at least one child between the ages of birth and eight who is at risk at being unprepared for starting school. A distinctive feature of each recipient program is the collaboration among the various groups that provide services to adults, children and families. Eligible applicants for these grants include: local education agencies, correctional agencies, community-based organizations, public or non-profit agencies or a consortium of these agencies located in Maine who have been in existence for two or more years, have demonstrated fiscal accountability, and have a literacy program that has operated for at least two years. Over the past twelve years, the Maine Family Literacy Initiative has awarded a total of $2,787,855 to develop or expand 166 family literacy programs in Maine.
Assessing the Impact of Planning Grants on the Maine Family Literacy Initiative
Over the last year a graduate student from the University of Maine, Kate Foy Bartley, has been engaged in a research project for the Maine Family Literacy Initiative. The purpose was three-fold: to determine the effectiveness of planning grants in preparing communities to establish family literacy programming; to identify factors that affected their ability to succeed; and to assess the long term impact of planning grants on the expansion of family literacy programming in Maine.
All of the grantees interviewed indicated that the grant helped them improve organizational and community support for family literacy. They all stated that the funding was critical to their being able to devote staff time to the planning activities required to establish family literacy services in their communities. All grantees reported that an official planning process created legitimacy and an opportunity for relationship building with other organizations.
Some of the challenges reported by grantees included identifying, recruiting, and retaining eligible families. They reported that the families they serve are at risk, are dealing with many issues, and often have a hard time committing to services. They also reported that formal assessments do not always capture the progress made by families and are often burdensome. And finally, grantees struggled when they lost key partners; whether through the closure of an Early Head Start program or when the key contact in an organization moved on to another agency.
The study also showed that planning grants had a positive long-term impact on the delivery of family literacy services, but are most helpful to grantees that have had no prior experience in providing family literacy services.
Several recommendations came from the research project as well. First, it is recommended that we strengthen the program guidance around recruitment and retention to ensure that applicants do not assume that a statistical need in the community indicates a population that is able to participate. Second, it is recommended that grantees with no prior experience in family literacy be given additional support early in the cycle to help them identify developing issues. Third, it is recommended that we consider targeting planning grants to those with no prior experience in family literacy to broaden the field. And finally, it is recommended that we strengthen program guidance on funding for sustainability. Plans will be put in place over the next year with the Maine Family Literacy Initiative Advisory Board and the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to address these recommendations.
Maine Family Literacy Initiative
For more information:
The Maine Family Literacy Initiative
ATTN: Becky Dyer, Grant Administrator
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
Email: becky@mainefamilyliteracy.com
Phone: 207.624.6755
Fax: 207.624.6731
Technical Assistance
The Center for Adult Learning and Literacy at the University of Maine has been awarded a
grant to provide technical assistance and professional development to Maine Family Literacy
Initiative grantees, with a particular focus on improving data collection and evaluation. Contact Carol Wynne
at cwynne@gwi.net or 207.581.2498.
Contact: David Connerty - Marin
Becky Dyer - 624-6755
BARBARA BUSH AWARDS $234,995 FOR MAINE FAMILY LITERACY INITIATIVE
Augusta - Mrs. Barbara Bush announced on June 19th that the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy awarded $234,995 to Maine Family Literacy Initiative programs in fifteen Maine communities. Representatives from each program accepted their grant awards from Mrs. Bush and Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, at an awards ceremony at the J. Richard Martin Community Center in Biddeford. Maine Family Literacy Initiative money supports programs that improve the reading skills of parents and their children, while developing solid literacy practices in the home.
"I'm so proud of the students and teachers who have participated in our Maine Family Literacy Initiative." said Mrs. Bush, Honorary Chairperson of the Foundation. "They have accomplished so much over the past twelve years. We know that thousands of parents and children are now able to share the pleasure as well as the benefits of reading as a result of their hard work in the 166 family literacy programs funded by the Maine Family Literacy Initiative so far."
"Reading holds the key to success in life," said Maine's First Lady Karen Baldacci. "Barbara Bush has devoted many years of work to promote and increase family literacy. I would like to thank and honor her on behalf of the people of the State of Maine for her dedication to such a worthy cause."
Eight winning grants of approximately $25,000 were chosen this year from applications submitted by libraries, community-based organizations, colleges, adult education, and public schools across the state to implement family literacy programs. These programs provide family literacy services that include adult literacy instruction, early childhood literacy instruction, and parent and child time for reading together.
An additional seven planning grants of $5,000 each were also awarded to communities to develop the partnerships and resources needed to implement a family literacy program next year. According to Becky Dyer, State Director of Adult Education and Family Literacy for the Maine Department of Education, planning grants have proven to be an effective way to bring agencies together to begin talking about family literacy and identifying existing resources that could be used to support family literacy programming in their community.
The Maine Family Literacy Initiative has awarded 166 grants totaling of $2,787,855 in its twelve-year history to develop or expand Maine family literacy programs. The Barbara Bush Foundation also funds family literacy initiatives in Texas, Florida, and Maryland, as well as through its annual national grant competition. As of June 2007, the Foundation, which was established in 1989, will have awarded nearly $30 million to build or expand more than 650 family literacy programs in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
FY 2008 Maine Family Literacy Initiative Grantees
AUGUSTA SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, AUGUSTA
Project L.I.F.E. (Literacy is for Everyone) will link the services of Augusta Adult Education, Southern Kennebec Child Development Center, Child Development Services, and the Augusta public school Pre-K, Title I and Special Education programs to address the literacy needs of the entire family. Project advisors will work directly with families to support and encourage their participation in the project.
WINDHAM ADULT EDUCATION, WINDHAM
GATEWAY (Goals Attained Through Education for Windham Adults and Their Young Children) is a partnership between Windham Head Start, Windham Adult Education, Windham Public Library, Windham Primary School and other community providers to provide comprehensive family literacy services. In addition, they will pilot-test three new areas of focus: computer literacy, numeracy, and financial literacy.
MADAWASKA SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, MADAWASKA
Building Learning Teams (BLT) with Families brings together a mix of agencies to provide services to the families of Madawaska, Grand Isle, Frenchville and St. Agatha. Head Start, Madawaska Adult Education, Maine Parent Federation, the Career Center, Literacy Volunteers, elementary schools, and Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community will work together to provide access to family literacy services at home and at community-based sites throughout the region
WISCASSET SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, WISCASSET
Wiscasset Family Literacy Center is a collaborative partnership between Wiscasset Primary School, Wiscasset Adult Education, Wiscasset Head Start, and Tri-County Literacy Volunteer’s "Read With ME". The Wiscasset Family Literacy Center will foster partnerships between school and family and provide a seamless system to support successful learning for all.
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF BANGOR, BANGOR
Voices in Diversity: Parents and Children Celebrating Literacy is a partnership between Literacy Volunteers of Bangor and the Penquis Community Action Program. They will expand their services to include English Language Learners focusing on culturally sensitive activities and the importance of native language literacy.
MAINE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT #32, ASHLAND
Families of Learners serves a previously underserved area by bringing together Ashland Central School, SAD # 32 Adult Education, Head Start, and Literacy Volunteers of Aroostook County to provide center, home-based, and extended year services to families with children in grades Pre-K and One.
MAINE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT #6, STANDISH
Read to Succeed is a program promoting family literacy at home and at school. This project will bring together community partners, including Adult Education, Guidance, Title One, Literacy Volunteers, Steep Falls Public Library, the Training Resource Center, and Buxton’s Social Welfare Department to improve literacy skills of families in the district.
TEEN AND YOUNG PARENT PROGRAM OF KNOX COUNTY, ROCKLAND
The Growing Tree - Focus on Fathers will provide targeted outreach efforts and family literacy programming specific to young fathers. This program expands the partnership of the Teen and Young Parent Program of Knox County, M.S.A.D. # 5 Adult and Community Education, the Rockland Public Library, and the Passages Program of the Community School.
RURAL COMMUNITY ACTION MINISTRY, LEEDS
The Community Literacy Planning Committee will identify and convene community partners, local literacy stakeholders, and literacy consumers form Androscoggin, Oxford, and Kennebec counties to develop family literacy goals.
SACO SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, SACO
Family Literacy Collaborative, a partnership between the Saco School District and Old Orchard Beach/Saco Adult Education, will convene a planning committee to build a comprehensive, community-based approach to family literacy.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, GORHAM
Family English as a Second Language (ESOL) at Kennedy Park will allow USM and other community partners to explore expansion of an ESOL class to include intergenerational literacy activities for refugee mothers and their children.
JACKSON MEMORIAL LIBRARY, TENANTS HARBOR
Family Reading Initiative will allow the Jackson Memorial Library to identify and work with area collaborators to develop a family literacy initiative for three mid-coast Maine villages.
REGION 9 SCHOOL OF APPLIED TECHNOLOGY, MEXICO
Region 9 Adult Learning Center and the School of Applied Technology will create a cross-generational literacy rich program prior to the opening of their new early childhood program in 2008.
OLD TOWN SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, OLD TOWN
Reading in the Family builds upon established successful relationships between the Old Town School Department, the Old Town Public Library and The River Coalition, Inc. to plan a family literacy program for underserved Pre-K children and their parents.
DENMARK PUBLIC LIBRARY, DENMARK
Brownfield/Denmark Family Literacy is a partnership between the Denmark Public Library and the local elementary school to plan a family literacy program for their area.
The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas and The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy
The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy was created in 1999, in response to the
enormous success of A Celebration of Reading, and the generous support so many Texans
have given to help promote literacy across the nation. Currently the Fund administers two
all-Texas grant programs: The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas,
founded by first lady, Laura Bush, when she was the first lady of Texas, and continues as Honorary
Chair, and a separate discretionary grant program.
These 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. Past grantees include community-based organizations,
libraries, charter schools, pediatric medical clinics, Head Start and Even Start programs, as well as other
organizations. The grants are awarded to applicants who focus on reading instruction for parents or
primary caregivers, reading or pre-reading instruction for their children, and parent/child reading
time and activities. A successful grant application includes clearly stated objectives, along with
a solid plan to measure whether or not those objectives have been achieved.
The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas, a program of The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy, Announces its 2008 Grant Competition
The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas, a program of The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy, announces the 2008 grant competition. Laura Bush, who founded this Initiative when she was first lady of Texas, continues to serve as Honorary Chair. The Texas Center for Adult Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M University provides technical assistance to the family literacy programs funded each year. As of July, 2007, the Initiative had awarded over $3 million to 118 programs in 65 cities across the state. This year will mark the 12th annual competition.
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.
Successful family literacy programs must provide reading instruction for parents or primary caregivers, reading or pre-reading activities for their children, and parent/child reading time and interactions. A successful grant application includes clearly stated objectives, along with a solid assessment plan to measure whether or not those objectives have been achieved.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Benita Somerfield
202-955-6183
The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative Grants Announced
The winners of The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas grants for 2007 have been announced, bringing the total number of grants to 118 since the Initiative began. This is the 12th 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 $2 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 65 Texas cities, and the Initiative is still going strong. This year, eight grants totaling $400,000 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 which is 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 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 2007 are:
AVANCE-Austin
The Community Based Parent/Child Literacy program will enhance and expand the existing literacy programs by providing additional classes, including evening classes for fathers, as well as child care services.
Communities in Schools-Central Texas, Inc., Austin
The ASPIRE Family Literacy Program will replicate program services at the Lucy Read Pre-kindergarten Demonstration School, providing an integrated, effective family literacy program with proven success to one of Austin’s neediest populations.
Deer Park Independent School District, Deer Park
The Deer Park Family Literacy Program will enhance the current family literacy program by increasing the number of family reading workshops and providing additional books for families to take home.
Judson Independent School District, San Antonio
The Judson Family Literacy Initiative will implement a family literacy project to enhance the current Even Start Program by serving 30 families, provide professional development for the staff, and develop a resource center for parents and children.
Reach Across Houston
The Reach Out for Tomorrow, Houston project is a joint initiative between Reach Across Houston and Iglesia Pentecostes Rey de Reyes Church to provide literacy instruction and services to 30 low-income Hispanic families.
Richardson Independent School District Family Literacy Center, Richardson
The Parenting for Academic Success:A Curriculum for Family Learning project will be implemented by hiring a Family Literacy Lead
Vickery Meadow Learning Center, Dallas
Cutains Up On Literacy Is a collaboration between Vickery Meadow Learning Center and Dallas Children's Theater to enhance intergenerational bonds by expanding theater arts literacy education to parents and families in the Vickery Meadow family literacy program.
The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas
A Program of The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy
ACCOMPLISHMENTS 1996-2007
- Nearly $3 million awarded to 118 family literacy programs in twelve years.
- Programs funded in 65 different cities across the state.
- Thousands of families actively participated in these family literacy programs.
- Families in these programs now read more often to their children and some who never read to
their children are now doing so.
- Families in these programs are using the library for the first time or are using the library
more often.
- Parents in the programs are becoming more involved in day-to-day school activities of their
children.
- Adults in the programs are showing gains in their own reading abilities. Many of the adults
have requested help in learning English and are improving these skills. Others are working to
prepare for or have passed the GED and report finding better job prospects.
- Teachers have commented that children who have attended a family literacy program are better
prepared for school.
- Parents in the family literacy programs were committed to work hard for their children's
future, thus gaining a sense of accomplishment and hope through their efforts.
- Many parents go on to obtain more stable employment and further education, sometimes working
in their children's schools as classroom assistants.
- Families in the family literacy programs report that they are spending more time than before
in reading activities - and that they and their children are ENJOYING IT!
For more information on The First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas or The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy please contact Pat Peebler at ppeebler@mcnairgrp.com or visit http://www.tcall.tamu.edu the website for the initiative's Technical Assistance Coordinator.
The Florida Family Literacy Initiative
"The purpose of our Family Literacy Initiative is to establish literacy as a value in every family. I believe that by helping every family in the state to understand that the home is the child's first school, the parent is the child's first teacher, and reading is the child's first subject, that we will do more to dramatically improve our educational system than any test will ever measure." -- Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush
In Florida, Jeb Bush made education and strengthening families a top priority, beginning with his initiative in family literacy - helping programs that encompass reading, math, life skills and parenting skills, help individuals earn their GEDs, and help children start school ready to learn. Today, his commitment to families and education lives strong within the programs of the Florida Family Literacy Initiative (FFLI).
In July 2007, the Florida Family Literacy Initiative began its eighth year of funding successful family literacy programs across the state with support from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, private donors, and the Florida Department of Education. The FFLI recently announced the 2007-2008 Florida Family Literacy Academy programs. The Florida Family Literacy Academy programs are in their second year of serving as testing and teaching sites in Florida and beyond. Because of our generous donors, the FFLI will award over $1 Million dollars to its programs. Congratulations to the following 2007-2008 Florida Family Literacy Initiative programs!
Alliance for Families with Deaf Children
The Deaf Family Literacy Academy serves families with a hearing parent and deaf or hard hearing children in Broward and Pinellas Counties in order to facilitate language, literacy, and fully accessible communication. Program services include home-visits, child literacy instruction, parent education, and parent literacy instruction in American Sign Language, parent support groups and Parent and Child Together Activities.
Apopka Grows
The Grows family Literacy Academy provides Age appropriate children’s education, adult education, parent education and parent & child together time through classes, speakers, field trips, workshops, and in-home activities with the goal of teaching English language proficiency and parenting skills, and preparing pre-school children for kindergarten.
Barry University
The Barry University's Florida Family Literacy Academy provides services to migrant and farmworker families in the Homestead area. The program has a Pre-K Curriculum, K-3 Curriculum, and an Adult Literacy / Education component. The program places emphasis on school readiness for Pre-K children and elementary school age children by providing developmentally appropriate activities such as pre-literacy activities and motor skills attainment. Educational outcomes are measured based on age and grade level appropriateness. The adult literacy component emphasizes literacy, ESL instruction and ILA activities.
Calhoun County Public Library
The Calhoun Library Family Literacy Academy provides an integrated four component program through an innovative public library/school/FFLI partnership. The Calhoun Library Family Literacy Academy is a family literacy program serving undereducated parents with children birth to 3rd grade. The Academy provides academic, teacher driven instruction for Adult Literacy/ESOL, children’s literacy, parent empowerment and intergenerational literacy activities. Family sessions holistically address the problems that undereducated parents face in providing their families a good quality of life; thus, allowing for peer mentoring and comradery. Program outcomes are measured using standardized testing, and qualitative analysis.
Collier County Housing Authority
The Collier County Housing Authority Jump Start, a Florida Family Literacy Academy, provides the migrant farm worker families of Farm Worker Village with English, Adult Basic Literacy, parenting, school/reading readiness for pre-school aged children, tutoring and homework assistance for school aged children, and family counseling services.
DeSoto County Education Foundation
Reading Together Family Literacy Academy
Learning Together stresses the importance of the parent being the child’s first teacher by offering assistance in skills being taught in the K-2 setting, suggestions to parents on how to reinforce these skills at home, developing language development activities, building strong family values and assisting parents who may need remediation in their personal reedit ability and English language acquisition skills.
Florida International University
The FLASH at Finlay Family Literacy Academy
The Families Learning at School and Home (FLASH) family literacy academy project will provide a family English literacy initiative at two schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district: Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary School and EWF Stirrup Elementary. FLASH is designed to improve the literacy/ESL skills of parents/caregivers and their children, and to promote the participation of linguistically and culturally diverse parents in the educational process of their children. An intergenerational approach is utilized with culturally relevant curricula and strategies specifically designed for linguistically diverse parents. While in the program, families participate in intensive cycles of 120-140 hours of instruction and intergenerational literacy activities.
Hispanic Unity
Hispanic Unity’s Family Literacy Academy provides literacy instruction to Hispanic families and other members of the community. The program is a fundamental building block towards empowering immigrant children and families to succeed in the United States. The program focuses on reading skills for the entire family. Hispanic Unity partners with Broward County Public Schools and other local agencies to provide the following literacy services: English classes for adults, parenting workshops, parent and child together activities, child literacy instruction and parent support groups.
Lakeland Teen Parent-Polk County Schools
Lakeland Teen Parent is a Polk County public school for pregnant and parenting students, grades 6-12. Its family literacy program integrates adult literacy, children’s literacy, parent education, and PACT, serving children through five years old. A family literacy coordinator oversees the 30 hour weekly program. Community agencies provide support services. The program has recently become part of the Workforce Education Department. This will provide new opportunities for the students to pursue courses at other technical schools.
Lake Wales Charter Schools
Through the Florida Family Literacy Initiative, Lake Wales Charter Schools (LWCS) Family Literacy Academy will enroll, and provide family literacy services to 50 disadvantaged families. The Lake Wales Family Literacy Coalition, established for the family literacy academy, will continue to advise staff and support families. Our four component program supports families with services that remove educational barriers and maintain a literacy focus for the entire family. Volunteer mentors/tutors work closely with families to meet their goals. In addition, current enrollees will mentor and support new families.
Palm Beach County Education Foundation
The Parent Power Family Literacy Academy’s goal is to assist adult students most in need of educational and civic services who are the parents/caretakers of children attending local schools to improve their literacy skills, while increasing parent involvement within the school setting. In support of the President’s initiative of leaving “No Child Behind,” the ultimate goal of the Parent Power academy is to empower these adult participants to acquire English proficiency skills as well as basic and functional-literacy skills. These skills are necessary to have a positive effect on the literacy of their children through literacy-related activities and to increase their involvement and partnership in their children’s education.
St. John Presbyterian Learning Center
St. John’s Family Literacy Program aims to break the cycle of illiteracy by providing families the literacy skills necessary to function in society and pursue higher education or job attainment. The program prepares parents to actively participate in their children’s education and strengthens the parent and child relationship.
The Florida Celebration of Reading will be held February 15, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, Bonita Springs, Florida. Please visit www.celebrationofreading.org for additional information.
To learn more about the Florida Family Literacy Initiative, please contact Roxann Campbell.
E-mail
Roxann.Campbell@volunteerusafund.org
Roxann R. Campbell
Volunteer USA Foundation
516 N. Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Telephone: 850.562.5300
Fax: 850.224.6532
Website: www.volunteerusafoundation.org Please note, this web site is coming soon!!
The Maryland Family Literacy Initiative
NEWS RELEASE
May 9, 2007
Benita Somerfield
(202) 955-6183
The Barbara Bush Foundation
Announces 2007 Maryland Grant winners
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy announced today that its new Maryland Initiative has awarded a total of $499,222 to ten programs in that state. Ranging in size from $49,572 to $50,000, the ten winning grant applications were chosen from among a variety of grant proposals from non-profit organizations and public institutions.
Grant winners of this year’s competition will be announced at the Foundation's fourth annual, Maryland Celebration of Reading, which will be held at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda. The money raised at the Celebration funds the grants awarded by the family literacy initiative. This year’s event, which is hosted by founder Doro Bush Koch and co-founder Tricia Koch, will "star" Secretary James A. Baker III, football stars Ronde and Tiki Barber, Rwandan heroine Immaculee Ilibagiza, talented mother-daughter writing team Perri and Sheila Klass,and best-selling author Brad Meltzer, all reading from their recently published books. Other special guests include former President George H.W. Bush, Mrs. Barbara Bush, and a surprise or two.
"We're confident that these ten programs will make important contributions to the literacy of the families in their communities. All of our work involves the parent or primary caregiver as well as the child, because we believe strongly that the home is the child's first school, and the parent is the child's first and most important teacher," said Doro Bush Koch, Founder of the Maryland Initiative of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy."
Since Barbara Bush launched her Foundation in 1989, it has awarded more than $20 million to over 600 family literacy programs in 47 different states and the District of Columbia. In addition to its national grant program, the Foundation also has four statewide initiatives in Maine, Texas, Florida and now in Maryland.
For more information about the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and its work, please visit the website at www.barbarabushfoundation.com
The 2007 grants were awarded to:
YWCA OF ANNAPOLIS AND ANN ARUNDEL COUNTY/WEST COUNTY FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER
Arnold, MD
In order to add a family literacy focus and increase its capacity to serve more families, the YWCA/West County Family Support Center will hire and train Family Literacy staff to help parents understand how young children develop language and literacy skills, and how parents can support and encourage that development, while working toward their own educational and career goals.
MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY - FAMILIES FOREMOST CENTER
Silver Spring, MD
This grant will enhance services that promote healthy attitudes towards learning and literacy for parents and children. Through center and home based activities, parents will learn techniques for talking, reading and playing with their children, and have opportunities to practice these strategies during scheduled parent/child activity times.
HOUSING INITIATIVE PARTNERSHIP, INC
.
Hyattsville, MD
The Housing Initiative Partnership will begin an after-school family literacy program for at risk children and their parents living in the Queens Manor complex in Mt. Rainer, Maryland. School-age children will receive comprehensive literacy assessment and individualized instruction, while their parents learn English, participate in financial literacy and life skills workshops and work toward employment.
FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS-FAMILY FUN IN READING
Frederick, MD
Through the Frederick County Public School’s Judy Center, Family Fun in Reading will provide intergenerational literacy instruction to 3 year olds, their parents and/or primary care givers. Parents will learn basic literacy strategies focusing on print knowledge and linguistic awareness, children will increase their pre-reading skills, and books will be introduced into the homes of participating families.
COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY - COPPIN KINSHIP FAMILY LITERACY
Baltimore, MD
In partnership with the Kinship Care Resource center, this project will work to increase adult literacy levels and parents’ knowledge about children’s literacy development among 35 low-income kinship relatives and their 45 children living on Baltimore’s west side.
BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - RAISE A READER EVERYWHERE (R.A.R.E.)
Baltimore, MD
By aligning classroom literacy activities with reading fun in the home, Project R.A.R.E. will provide an opportunity for parents of children ages 4-6 to become fully involved in the education of their children. Project R.A.,R.E. will expand the school program to include: in-class lending libraries, story-time activities and take home tote bags of books and activities.
LITERACY WORKS, INC. - TEACH THE FAMILY
Baltimore, MD
In collaboration with Housing Opportunities Unlimited and the Community College of Baltimore County, Literacy Works, Inc. will add a language and literacy focused child development program, for children 18-36 months whose parents are enrolled in the onsite GED program, and a family financial literacy program.
INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY DEVELOPMENT (CENTRO FAMILIA) -LITERACY & EARLY CHILDHOOD PROMOTORAS
Silver Spring, MD
Drawn from its existing network of child-care provider/mothers living in and serving families in Montgomery County, Centro Familia will develop and train a corps of "Literacy & Early Childhood Promotoras" to deliver information, literacy services, resources, and referrals to underserved non-English speaking, low-income families with young children.
TOWSON UNIVERSITY- PROJECT BR:IDGE - BUILDING-BLOCKS FOR READING:INSPIRING DAILY GROWTH & EXCELLENCE
Towson, MD
This project will create a self-sustaining vehicle for increased family literacy among St. Veronica’s Head Start families. Through an on-site, for-credit course provided by faculty of the Department of Early Childhood Education at Towson University, teachers will increase their knowledge of early literacy and of strategies to facilitate literacy development in families.
FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY
Baltimore, MD
A newly hired Family Literacy Specialist will provide training and targeted technical assistance to child development and adult education staff, as well as to home visitors at ten individual centers in the Friends of the Family network. The goals are to foster emergent literacy skills in children, model language and literacy strategies for parents; and increase the capacity of the Maryland Family Support Centers to provide integrated family literacy services.
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