Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EVEN START PROGRAM CHANGES LIVES

DOE Designates November as Family Literacy Month

(WORCESTER, Mass. – October 30, 2006) As students from Chandler Magnet School worked diligently on a “thank you” project, Congressman James P. McGovern spoke passionately about the need to maintain federal funding of the Even Start Family Literacy Program at a press announcement at Worcester State College (WSC) today. He emphasized the impact of those dollars on real people such as Eddy Parades.

After six months in the Even Start Program at Worcester State College, Eddy Paredes, originally from the Dominican Republic, said that he has gained valuable literacy skills for his job and is now able to help his child with homework.

Mr. Paredes and other Latino parents and their children joined WSC President Janelle C. Ashley and Congressman McGovern to announce the initial success and continued federal funding for the Even Start Program. The children, in grades K-2 at Chandler Magnet School, also demonstrated their acquired literacy skills by reciting “The family that reads together grows together.”

Last year, the LEI joined the Massachusetts Department of Education’s efforts to improve the literacy skills of Latino families through Even Start with an initial $132,367 federal grant. The $180,381 award this year will continue the valuable program which serves to empower Latino families to obtain better jobs and help their children excel academically. The program serves to integrate early childhood education, adult literacy (adult basic and secondary-level education and instruction for English language learners), parenting education, and interactive parent and child literacy activities.

“We are the only college in Massachusetts selected for this program,” WSC President Janelle C. Ashley said, “and that has a lot to do with our Latino Education Institute (LEI) which is having a tremendous impact on Latino families.”

LEI Executive Director Maria Del Rio introduced Ivonne Pérez, principal of Chandler Magnet School which collaborates on the program.  “Chandler Magnet was selected not only because of its proximity to Worcester State, but because 58.1% of their students are Hispanic with 47.5% identified as having limited English proficiency,” said Del Rio.

Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) Even Start State Coordinator Arlene R. Dale also announced the kick-off  of “Family Literacy Month” for the month of November as The DOE’s Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium will be hosting an event at the Worcester Public Library on Saturday, November 18.

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