Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g0ADVb021126; Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:31:37 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:31:37 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <NDBBJNOOBCJMDBIJLDLHAEMDCNAA.syero@famlit.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Shani Yero" <syero@famlit.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:594] Literacy Volunteer X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 5323 Lines: 113 On 1/9/02 Marilyn wrote: Shani, As a new volunteer for literacy and ESL training and supporter of Success by 6, I will admit that I saw no further than working with a few neighborhood groups to help pre-school children and their parents. You write convincingly about the need to include the schools in educational activities and to broaden the outlook to include student achievement in school as the eventual goal. I am a retired nurse, not an educator. Promotoras have been successful in the health field. I wonder if the same model wouldn't be useful in education (home visits by volunteers from the community and close working relationships with professionals in the field). In my unincorporated community, husbands prefer wives to not get involved in community activities and the wives, with their large numbers of children, have no transportation. They have accepted the daily "school" that my neighbor (a former elementary teacher) and I have during the summers in our neighborhood, although we are both Anglo and not fluent in Spanish. The older children take pride in translating as necessary. These parents very well may not want to model Anglo school employees. It's hard for them to get past racial problems into truly cooperating with a "foreign" institution which has not supported them in the past. Most don't understand English. There is a large group of retirees in this area (low rent and lots of sunshine) who would be hapy to help. Most of the time I find I can be more effective by working together with someone born in Mexico. It's helpful to get away from the confining effect of "overfocus" on social problems to thinking about solutions within a broader context. Thanks for the information and inspiration. The post was not too long! Marilyn Griggs J.L."Shani" Yero, Program Specialist National Center for Family Literacy 325 W. Main Street, Ste.200 Louisville, KY 40202 Phone (502) 584-1133 x161 Fax (502) 584-0172 syero@famlit.org -----Original Message----- From: nifl-family@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-family@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Nancy Sledd Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 2:04 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:583] Another response -----Original Message----- From: Paul Burnim [mailto:BurnimP@ARPS.ORG] Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 1:40 PM To: nsledd@famlit.org; nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov; nifl-family@nifl.gov Subject: Re: [NIFL-FAMILY:564] Opening remarks for this week'sdiscussion Greetings. I am new to this discussion group, but I have found the questions extremely helpful and thought provoking. In addition, given my position as Even Start Director, Title I Director, and Director of Professional Development for our schools, this discussion feels to be right out of our staff meetings. To respond in brief.... Our Even Start Program serves children 0-3 on-site in an infant/toddler center. It is in this space that PACT, and parenting and conferencing occurs. It is a natural site for learning and literacy, as well as to glean from the experiences of parents of older children. Our Community Partnership for Children serves chidlren 3-5 both in-school and throughout the community. We have modelled Even Start components to school-based and off-site programs as a vehicle for increasing home-strategies for successful child rearing, increasing home-school relationships and communication, and empowering adults and families. The Title I Program has for the past ten years provided outreach services WITH families. I work in a small school district (3700 kids) with 33 languages and over 80 countries of origin of our families. This has happily necessitated both learning and teaching with families, in and out-of-school. We hire staff to provide mechanisms for understanding public education, understanding the expectations of adult roles in children's learning, and helping families feel welcomed and comfortable with our staff. As a staff we undrstand that our families work several jobs, and at a variety of hours, so we are the group that must be flexible. Our meetings occur in-school during and after school, at neighborhood/community sites, and at times that are most convenient for our families. We keep a wide variety of education and literacy materials 'in-stock' to meet the needs of families as they arrive and settle in Amherst. We offer after-school homework and social times for children in a number of languages, and extend the day to help families. In addition, we offer support on accessing human services as transportation and language are often barriers. The list goes on with what we do as school personnel, as well as what we learn from the community, and how we are involved with a number of human service providers. The program grew two years ago to also include Middle School children. The after school program (Savuka) offers academic support and homework support (mandatory) as a vehicle to participate in a wide number of social activities ranging from sports to technology to mountain biking to hiking to crafts to community service, etc, etc, etc, Started as a strategy to help kids keep busy and occupied after-school, we now have a waiting list to get in. Parent involvement and participation is both encouraged and required. I hope this helps others. Thanks for the opportunity.
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