Family Literacy Program - Essay Example

Mission ment. The Center aims to develop the mind and character of every child by platforms of English language literacy program with support basically coordinated and extended to their respective families. It aims to reduce English language illiteracy rate of the community by teaching Spanish children the classroom method of learning and understanding English. This task shall deliberately open the doors to information and present computer technology available for speech articulation utilizing the Center’s present resources for such mission. Spanish people have a lot to learn with English communications and this will serve as their infant stage towards active participation in the community and for the unification and homogenous interaction of all the residents and citizens of America. Since these children needs the proper environment and interactive set up in learning the English language, the Center hereby extends the classroom method of teaching the English language to the parents or relatives of the children. Assessment results shall be made at the end of each module to ensure that neither child nor adult is left behind in the Center’s objective to educate and enhance articulation and progress in the use of English language. This set up is structured to meet and challenge the individual non English speakers to cope up with the daily pressures in life, studies, community, and opportunity for work. It has to set up a certain kind of reliance to the government of America in their massive effort that no child shall be left behind in the roles of education and information. It thereby helps in the management and adaptation of these children to keep pace with change in their school environment and community by gearing the children towards development of their confidence in speaking skills and motivate them to make use of their listening skills to succeed help in the programs tutorial lessons. This is the ultimate English language literacy lifelong learning that shall fulfill the one medium language of instruction use as a gateway to basic literacy. This will also affect adherence of the residents of America to expand territorial rights and influence by technology and political means by the use of education of one English language system. The Center shall thereby commence leadership in change and inspire others to participate in the program by several multimedia influences. Assuming that the motivation to attendance is done by non payment of the program, then the Center aims to provide and solicit funds needed for the Center to commence operations and to continue to provide financial sustainability in the future. One option available for this people is to avail of government grants that will allow them to continue their studies in a more refined speech and English language class. The Center cannot at the moment of its inception progress to provide refinement in its speech class and refers only an invitation to infant stage learning process. The Center shall then act as its solicitor and coordinator to seek these types of grants to both government and private entities extended to non government organizations that can be used by both children and adult participants. Thus this ensures that no child losses its opportunity for a high quality education and his choice for supplemental service requirements in procurement of such resources. Funding Resources. The Center aims to be a recipient of the Reading First title I funds of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The new Early Reading First program will give 6 year awards to support early language literacy for the low income families. The Act allows the use of Federal education funds to ensure accountability of the results and sustain efforts to make every child of America perfect English verbal and written communication patterns of information. (Ed.gov, 2005). There is also a program for the Verizon landline that motivates their customers to help fund the literacy program of various states to where their customers live through their Check into Literacy Program. This program creates a dollar a month contribution to improve literacy skills in various states. Verizon Foundation gives grants to partners and the application is available online. The Center seeks to apply as a recipient of the program. Verizon Foundation is a leading supporter of innovative, technology-based approaches to literacy and K-12 education. We deliver online resources for learning targeted to literacy students across the lifespan, K-12 teachers and students, and nonprofit organizations. Through these resources and our partnerships with nonprofit literacy, community-based and educational organizations, we not only help teach non-readers to read, we help advance the skills necessary to live and work in the 21st Century. With our award-winning website, the Verizon Foundation Resource Center, we provide essential tools to help nonprofit organizations plan, manage, operate and perform more efficiently. (Verizon, 2007). The Sociological Initiatives Foundation is also funding literacy programs contact person Prentice Zinn at grantsmanagement.com telephone no. 617-426-7080. The Center seeks to apply as a recipient of the program. The Rotary International also provides educational grants upon request. (Rotary International, 2003). The Center seeks to apply as a recipient of the program. The Literacy Grants Program of the Phi Kappa Phi grants up to $2,500.00 to chapters and members for literacy programs. The Center seeks to be a recipient of the grant. (Phi Kappa Phi, 2006). The Center seeks to be a recipient of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy program. The mission aims to establish literacy as a value in every family in America. (Somerfield, S., 2006). “The English Literacy and Civics Education Program is an integrated program of educational services to immigrants and other limited English proficient populations to acquire the basic skills they need to function effectively as parents, workers, and citizens. Local providers implementing EL/Civics programs are charged with incorporating instruction on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation. Congress directed the Office of Vocational and Adult Education to provide EL/Civics grants solely to "states", including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.” (Lord, U., 2006). The Center seeks to be a recipient of the award. The Center aims to apply as one of the partners and approved tutoring providers for the state of Arizona to AAD (Academic Achievement Division, Arizona Department of Education). The State Tutoring Program is designed for students who are interested to participate in the State Tutoring Program and meets the following criteria: “Pupils attending an Underperforming or Failing school as labeled by AZ LEARNS; 9-10th grade pupils who did not pass one or more portions of the 8th grade AIMS; 11-12th grade students who have failed to pass one or more portions of the AIMS test in order to graduate from high school.” (AAD, 2006). It aims to provide academic tutoring in reading and writing by funding partners and is very much possible to get the Centers funds from this aspect. Contact person and coordinator is Debby Francis telephone no. (602) 364-3177. The Center will also seek funding resources from non government organizations and other private foundations available abroad like the EU, Spain, Germany, and Canada. This will also aim to seek the assistance of some religious organizations whose mission vision is English language literacy or education for the purchase of transport vehicles. The Center also seeks to gain access to University’s resources for the learning materials needed to serve the program. The Center aims to solicit from computer companies such as Microsoft and Bill Gates foundation for the computer units and adequate software applications for the virtual animated computer controlled articulation games for children according to age group. It has been the common psychological processes of cognitive thinking in motivation perception that children can learn more if we can motivate their interest for the subject matter in a way that the classroom methodology is much fun and enjoyable in its sense. The animation can be such fun and will tend to make the reception from the virtual instructor to the student clearer making its remembrance easier also because they can relate it to funny images and dialogues. The Center will also apply as non taxable entity so it can make use of the payment for the Center’s operations and management. This will also motivate private individuals to make donations either in cash or in kind like serving snacks and dinner to participants since it can be treated as tax deductible. All sponsors and partners shall be given a liquidation of expenses statement every month for replenishment and liquidation purposes. The books shall be made separately and differently for each contributor therefore assigning each expense to each contributor to avoid confusion in accounting entries and referred allowances or mix booking. Educators. The center aims to utilize volunteers to come physically or online by modules for the commencement of the program. It has the option to hire volunteers whenever the funding resources are established. The instructors for some of the modules can be outsource to other supporting non-government and private institutions abroad that will entirely create a computer based interactive speech training for the adult and children alike. The pool of online interactive instructors can be gathered from the Call Center Philippines since they are using American English as their second language and their service resounds enjoyable discussion and have more empathy and the will to make the learner efficient. Meanwhile only one or two volunteers will be physically present to help navigate the system and mediate certain inadequacies and language adaptation during the lecture. However the Center has the option to hire more people and retain the present online distance interactive learning as necessary and as it expands classrooms. The Center shall hire one Spanish interpreter, one English speech instructor, one psychologist and buy software with Spanish language interpretations. There is no need to hire an in-house IT personnel but a consultant for the software and hardware maintenance will do if it cannot solicit partnerships that include both from computer companies. Budget controls and monitoring is a must for the hiring of personnel since it will incur fixed cost and entitles them to certain benefits the Center finds necessary in their terms of employment. Office extensions and assistance available. The Center aims to promote the general welfare of both child and adult participants and extend the services to the community as a whole. Thereby lists of services are available for the community for them to apply and register according to schedule: a. Maricopa County Skills Center honors their participation every 1st and 2nd Saturday to provide information on available jobs, available job training, resume writing coaching and assistance, and help to filling up application forms for the youth and adult. b. The Center also aims to established a website where multimedia advertising and invitation as to the works and programs of the Center are made available for both participants and sponsors alike. It will also serve to post schedules and newsletters for the state to read for community information purposes. The website is a strong political ally and communication platform where it can communicate with the world philanthropist and the world volunteers. Thus making it as a part of the Center’s aim to establish the site for employment purposes of these non English speakers where their resumes and contact numbers are being made available online to aid employment and job placement especially those who belongs to the low income families. Aside from its function as an English language literacy center it can still become a free website job placement post designed to help participants. It is the plan of the Center to invite different employers to take a look at their site to be able to gain fees to a certain percentage in finding skilled employees in the form of donation because the Center shall be non-income generating due to its application as non taxable entity. This can thereby commensurate web expenses in a little way help a lot of adult and youth participants continue their studies and find the right employment for them. c. Every 3rd Saturday of the month a Legal Aide, free service from State, will come and assist adults regarding legal issues especially immigration processing and documentations. This will give the participants a chance to seek help from the Center and from the Legal Aide their problems on regularizing their papers for free or of a minimal fee. d. Every 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month volunteers from nearby hospitals comprising of one doctor and a nurse will be coming over to provide basic health care. The Center shall then seek from nearby hospitals the agreement to donate medical supplies and provide volunteer medicos. We hope to get a lot of participating doctors and nurses for this item. Supplies can still be generated from government if there is an implication for the lack of it. e. Volunteers from Martha’s Place John C. Lincoln Hospital will provide parenting classes for adult every quarter and those who are in need of the information shall make the schedule on a per appointment basis provided they come in groups. f. The League of Women Voters shall assign volunteers to come to the Center at the end of every quarter to help and assists eligible voters to register and enable their rights to vote properly and legally. g. Volunteers for child care are being provided for the whole Center working hours to be able to help the parents focus their time and talent on learning the English language instead of plainly presenting themselves and their minds wanders about their young babies left to somebody’s care for the duration of the study. This will give no reason for the parents to disagree parental participation to support their children’s English language literacy classes. h. Social Workers extended from government will be deliberately providing services through the Center for their welfare concerns, state medical benefits, bus passes, and provision of food. Later a bunch of other issues will be added as the need of the participants also increases. Tools and equipment used. Computers for the online articulation classes and games are a must and shall be purchased. The website will be placed in getafreelancer.com for bidding of its web design. The art materials, tables and chairs, air conditioning, papers, pencils and bags shall be provided by the Center. This will enable the child to study English language literacy even if they come from a family of meager income. Other materials and equipments that might be needed and that might arise for the necessity of the teaching methodology shall be made available to the participants for free and provided by the Center. Transportation. A minimum of one vehicle shall be purchased by the Center to serve as a school bus for the participants to be used after classes in their travel towards home and from a designated place in the community to the Center. The transportation allowance can be solicited from the State in line with the No Child Left Behind Act. From the start of the Center’s operation down to the closing of the classes, the participant is ensured of free service as long as they participate in the English language literacy class. From previous surveys, many will be attending classes where they don’t dole out money to pay for the lessons and for the transportation. There shall be a provision to purchase more units in future budget allocation as the need arise. Language and culture barriers of participants. The Center aims to gain access and help from the governments multicultural agencies to bridge the gap of language and culture barriers so as to promote homogenous classroom methodology and uniformity in their teaching methods. Spanish children do not define not coming from a mix race that needs reaching out. In part the Center reserves the right to do whatever is necessary to understand the different attitudes, personality, beliefs and cultures of the participants for effective interactive simulation processes especially the immigrants that come in fresh to the State. Likewise barriers to effective multicultural counseling shall be defined and investigated. Research and psychology along with a little philosophy is a must to gain their trust and for them to gain confidence in coming to the Center. The setback is only an additional budgetary expense to hire one psychology major social worker that has vast experience dealing with this type of cultural diversities to eliminate disparities. Or we can request from the government to place a representative on schedule at the Center. The gear towards cultural competence must be assimilated to the workers of the Center. Let it be known that the Center is dealing with all types of people in relatively all walks of life coming from different races and culture, and that the individual’s beliefs and practices must be understood to anticipate outcomes in interventions. Bullies in children must also be eliminated so as not to reflect and discourage major culture hierarchy. Schedule of classes and center operations. The Center’s operating hours for the English language literacy classes is from 3pm - 9pm. Monday to Thursday only. Children classes are from 3pm - 6pm right after their regular classes. Adults schedule is from 6pm - 9pm.. Various groups will be attending their classes in different day’s schedules. Whereas the schedule for the social and health care services will be every Saturday from 10am – 3pm. Incentives. Families serve as the morale booster and play a major role in the success of their children at school. The Center does take note of the value of continuing family education with regards to English language literacy. Parents provide for their children’s needs in a lot of ways: physical and emotional support. As children cross the boundaries of home and school, parents assume the role as mentors and tutors at home. This is the very reason why the Center would like to solicit partnerships with parents to their children’s English language literacy classes that lead to the commencement of their adult English language literacy classes also. Working parents may have less time to attend and participate in their school’s activities and could possibly pose a problem financially if they stop work and attend classes. Of course their priorities are still bringing food and funds to the table. So the center has come up with the allowances’ system as incentives to parents to get them to attend their class schedules. The Center will be giving out allowances to participants and is fair enough for an hours work multiplied by the number of hours that they attended the lectures. There is no loss for them in terms of remuneration for the Center is providing it already. Since their schedule is from 6pm – 9pm then they are entitled to dinner before the start of their classes and snacks on the second hour of their classes. They must be assured of the legal assistance documentation and of the job placement web sites the Center is setting up on their behalf. The participants are now confident that they are properly compensated for the time that they spend at the Center. Children shall be provided with snacks. Dinner will be served at exactly end of class which is 6pm. They then will be accompanied to their transport unit to head towards home, door to door delivery this time since it is already getting dark. Incentives of free health care and access to grants availability shall be provided to children who would want to continue pursuing their studies for English language literacy to regular schools. Health care shall be provided for the entire life of the grant. Flyers in Spanish shall be sent to the homes of these non English speakers to inform them of the Center’s location and availability. Native Spanish speakers who can speak the English language fluently needed to be contacted as volunteers. They must be set as models and good examples of people who have been successful in their careers and family life due to the amass opportunities opened to those who can communicate the English language fluently. This will also serve as an eye opener of the importance of the English language literacy class for them and their children. Flyers shall be posted around the neighborhood and the Center shall register in the States recognized school for English language literacy so parents will know the moment they inquire from their school district that such services and such Center exist in their State. Radios can be a very good form of advertisement but somehow in cognitive perception of things that put us in awe could well be gotten from the images and advertisements we get from televisions. The Center will therefore place some paid ads in television series that is very famous to be effective. Supermarkets shall be posted with flyers also located at their cashier so the parents get to read it while waiting for their turn to pay for their purchases. Flyers shall be posted at bus stops so parents could get the time to read it while waiting for their bus. Trains can be a good place for posting also. It shall be placed near the cashier so they could get to read while waiting for their turn to purchase chips. The locations were considered effective and absolutely important because they will require straying eyes of those waiting in line to get them to read when they are bored and finding themselves something to catch their eyes on. Benefits of the program. This program is all for the benefits for the participants. Enhancing their understanding, reading and speech skills in the English language could provide them more seats in their work’s consideration for promotion. It will pave way for an effective communication and erase all barriers for multicultural diversities to a more unified residents and constituents of the State. For the adult it could give them the leverage to get hired and identified as qualified employees. Imagine running a business with employees of multi language, it’s like running the Tower of Babel on Arizona! For the adult who are active and is working, the class is very relevant for it will help develop confidence and improve evaluation of their respective work’s job training programs. There are a lot of English language fellowship that is being offered in schools and universities but none so far has excelled the record what this Center is giving out: healthcare, legal aide, website for job placement, grants, snacks, dinner and most of all child care during the lectures. And what will parents do with no when they are being given allowances and remuneration just to get themselves to attend classes on a per hour basis. This outline and Center’s mission is too good to be true but it is a reality and is on the run to a show. This is the only English literacy class where the only requirement is self: bring yourself and your kids to class and learn with pay. Organize a parent leadership committee so they can discuss issues that are bugging them in their native tongue to give them space. This will also lessen school drop outs due to difficulty in culture and language adjustment. “ELLs face the difficult task of mastering academic content in English while acquiring the English language. The effectiveness of learning experience in their native language (L1) and in their second language (L2) will have an important impact on their current academic functioning.” (Wilen, D.K., 2004). Tools for evaluation. Examinations and test both written and verbal shall conclude the understanding level of the English language literacy class. Participant’s feedback is an SOP for the program so the Center will know how their program stands to their participants and find ways and means to improve both program and Center’s operations. Questionnaires shall be provided at the start of each module so the moderator will know the expectations and the level of understanding each participant will have the probability to exhibit in classroom. It shall relay the participant’s choices, background, and level of competency and comprehension skills. Evaluation does not only come in the end part but also at the start of the session where the needs are being assess to commensurate instructions during the lectures. References Academic Achievement Division. (2006). Academic Achievement State Tutoring. Arizona Department of Education. Retrieved February 3, 2007. Web Site: http:// www.ade.state.az.us/asd/StateTutoring/ Ed.gov. (2005, September 19). Overview: Facts and terms every parent should know about NCLB. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2007, from the U.S. Department of Education database. Lord, U. (2006). English literacy and civics education. OVAE, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. Retrieved February 3, 2007 from the US Department of Education database. Phi Kappa Phi. (2006). Literacy grants. The honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. Retrieved February 3, 2007. Web Site: http://www.phikappaphi.org/Web/Scholarships/literacygrant.html Rotary International. (2003-2005). About educational programs. The Rotary Foundation. Retrieved February 3, 2007. Web Site: http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/ Index.html. Somerfield, S. (2006, April 20). National grant program. The Barbara Bush Foundation for family literacy. Washington D.C. Retrieved February 3, 2007 from The Barbara Bush Foundation Database. Verizon Foundation. (2007). Education and literacy. Using technology to improve lives. Retrieved February 3, 2007. Web Site: http://foundation.verizon.com/03001.shtml Wilen, D. K. (2004). English language learners.: an introductory guide for educators. Broward FL. Retrieved Feruary 3, 2007, from the National Association of School Psychologist database. Read More