Family literacy program a great benefit to schools, community

Despite all their rhetoric about promoting English, state lawmakers are unlikely to provide additional funding this session for adult English language classes. But to its credit, the world’s No. 1 automaker — now Toyota, not General Motors — has stepped up in Wichita.
The company is unveiling today its Toyota Family Literacy Program at three Wichita elementary schools — Park, Colvin and Stanley. The program — which is a partnership of Toyota, the school district, Wichita State University and the National Center for Family Literacy — teaches English to Hispanic parents of elementary schoolchildren. This training helps the parents improve their job skills and helps them better engage in their children’s education.
Wichita was one of five cities selected this year (out of 155 applications) for the three-year, $600,000 initiative, and about 50 Wichita families are already in the program. Being picked is “quite a tribute to Wichita,” Sharon Darling, president of the National Center for Family Literacy, told The Eagle editorial board. It certainly is.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

3 Comments

  1. Jed
    Posted April 25, 2007 at 3:31 am | Permalink

    I’m certainly glad someone is funding Adult English and ESL classes. I do wonder if the sentences of English taught will include “Henry Ford was a Nazi,” “See the USA in your Toyota today” and “Japan finally won the war!”

  2. ken
    Posted April 25, 2007 at 6:43 am | Permalink

    More companies should support this initiative — particularly those that hire non – English speaking Hispanic people, — Meat Packing, Landscaping, construction, agricultural services ….

  3. JWink
    Posted April 25, 2007 at 8:20 am | Permalink

    I wonder if a broader initiative should be considered … that is, a “School for Parents of USD 259 Students.” Perhaps a catchier name could be selected.

    The need is obvious. Classes should be decentralized in various schools, say from 3:30 PM to 5 PM. Of course, USD 259 already offers various programs along this line but this “parents academy” might serve as umbrella.

    Most observors say the #1 reason students aren’t motivated to learn is due to lack of parental support in the home.

    Subjects might be nutrition, school food programs, school health programs, effective study habits, danger of computer games, importance of school attendance, importance of making a connection to the student’s school by participation in extracurricular programs, etc.

    I hope others with more expertise or thoughts on this will expand on the benefits of this kind of program.