For Immediate Release:
March 27, 2012
Barbara Bush Foundation Awards Over $440,000 in New Grants
National Grant Program Supports Family Literacy in U.S.
San Diego, CA – Before a national audience of hundreds of family literacy advocates and educators, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy today announced its new grant recipients for the upcoming academic year. Doro Bush Koch, co-chair of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy announced the grant awards during the National Conference on Family Literacy being held this week in San Diego, California.
The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is awarding a total of $441,000 to seven nonprofit organizations, public school districts, and other agencies to help them improve the literacy skills and quality of life of families across the U.S. The Foundation is also committed to focusing a national spotlight on the importance of family literacy programs in the country.
“Our vision is to ensure both educators and decision makers in America understand the critical importance of developing family literacy programs for this simple reason: educated parents mean educated children,” said Doro Bush Koch. “In my mind it comes down to this: What’s the best way to determine if a child will graduate from high school? The answer – if mom or dad did. To help parents become their child’s best teachers, we must create family literacy programs where they can work hard to learn English or earn their high school diplomas as quickly as possible.”
The grants range from $54,000 to $65,000 and provide support to organizations committed to expanding or developing literacy programs where parents and their young child learn to read and improve their educational skills, together.
Grant recipients went through a rigorous review process and were selected from over 600 proposals submitted by a wide range of private, nonprofit and public institutions. The Barbara Bush grants also provide the impetus for organizations to seek further funding and support in their own communities. In addition to the national awards, Barbara Bush grants will also be awarded through state family literacy initiatives led by the Bush Family in Maryland, Maine, Florida and Texas.
Meanwhile, under the new leadership of co-chairs Doro Bush Koch and Jeb Bush, the Barbara Bush Foundation is working to strengthen the family literacy movement to better meet the needs of future generations by:
- Working with experts to write standards and establish benchmarks to strengthen family literacy programs nationwide.
- Building a robust network of Barbara Bush Family Literacy Academies where we help parents gain an average of close to two year’s worth of knowledge in one year’s time. And, where young children are prepared to enter Kindergarten on par with their peers.
- Looking to new technologies to embrace digital and online learning options in the classroom and living room to reach and teach more parents and children.
Since its inception in 1989, the Foundation has awarded approximately $40 million to nearly 900 family literacy programs in 50 states, including the nation’s capital. Visit our website at www.barbarabushfoundation.com for more information. And, for up-to-the-minutes grant opportunities and other news text the word BARBUSH to 202-999-3227.
The Barbara Bush Foundation’s 2012-2013 National Grants
ALABAMA
Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE) – Sylacauga, AL
To support the expansion of Together We Can, a community-based family literacy initiative addressing the literacy and learning needs of 20 at-risk families with four and five year old children in rural Sylacauga, Alabama. The SAFE Family Services Center, in partnership with the local school district, Central Alabama Community College, and a coalition of community organizations, all work together to strengthen families and to support programs with wrap-around resources that reward success and eliminate barriers for participants.
CONNECTICUT
Literacy Volunteers of Central CT, Inc. – New Britain, CT
To support a community-based collaborative family literacy center that will expand services to provide 65 low literate Latino and Arab families with literacy and parenting skills, enabling them to become full partners in the education of their children, 6 months to 8 years of age. The project will also provide a complete range of educational opportunities for parents, including literacy and parenting skills that will carry over into the developmental programs for their children, who will receive social, communication, and educational skills that will provide a smooth transition into preschool and/or primary school.
LOUSIANA
Ouachita Parish Schools (as NELA Consortium) – Monroe, LA
To support an expanding project that provides family literacy in two communities in Northeast Louisiana for both English Language Learners and high poverty African American families. The project serves parents and children with a research based instructional model known as the Family Literacy Integrated Concept Core (FLICC), which guides integration throughout the program year. Both sites, Union Parish and Ouachita Parish, are supported by strong community partnerships with organizations which provide facilities, utilities, referrals, and collaborative children’s services.
OHIO
Springfield City Schools – Springfield, Ohio
To support the expansion of Project Springboard which will serve 30 low income families within the urban area of Springfield. This comprehensive family literacy program integrates the four components of Adult Literacy, Early Childhood, Parenting Education, and Parent & Child Together Time (PACT). The project has the cooperative support of community partner, Miami Valley Child Development Centers, Inc., which provides early childhood education services and a fully developed program meeting families’ emotional, social, health, and nutritional needs.
MICHIGAN
Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency – Wyandotte, MI
To support the Wayne Metro Family Literacy Program, which is expanding the project to 30 families of recent immigrants or low literacy native born adults and their children, ages 6 months to 8 years old. This comprehensive program provides integrated family literacy with ESL and/or ABE/GED services, as well as parent education, parent-child interactive literacy, and early childhood education within the diverse urban community of Hamtramk, Michigan.
NEBRASKA
Lincoln Public Schools – Lincoln, NE
To support Lincoln Public Schools 2012 Family Literacy Project, which will expand services to 40 refugee, immigrant, and/or African American families with children ages three to 8 years. This project will expand into two of Lincoln’s highest need schools, Clinton Elementary, and Arnold Elementary, and will fully integrate parent and child education into the overall program at each facility.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Trident Literacy Association – North Charleston, SC
To support a developing project providing family literacy services to 20 low income families with children 2 to 5 years of age. Trident will establish a critically needed, holistic, and comprehensive family literacy program at Celebration Station, a facility located within the Chicora-Cherokee community of Charleston County. This community is one of the most underserved, impoverished, and highest crime rate area in the city of North Charleston. Community partners will provide wrap-around services to keep families actively involved throughout the year.