A national family literacy program was unveiled today at three Louisville elementary schools.  The program – funded by a $600,000 grant from Toyota – is coordinated by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), which is based in Louisville.  It is the only initiative of its kind to focus on the needs of Hispanic and other immigrant families on a nationwide basis.

The Toyota Family Literacy Program (TFLP) is now up-and-running at Klondike Elementary, Rangeland Elementary and Slaughter Elementary in Louisville.  The three schools average 22 percent Hispanic enrollment.

In addition to launching the program at these three schools, the funding will allow NCFL to provide comprehensive support for training, educational materials and technical assistance at each site.  Jefferson County Public Schools is working hand-in-hand with NCFL to implement the family literacy program.

“Family Literacy is a key cornerstone for learning,” said Dr. Sheldon Berman, superintendent, Jefferson County Public Schools.  “The Toyota Family Literacy Program connects several key components – student learning, adult English instruction, and parent-child reading time.  We expect many success stories as a result of this program.  We are honored to partner with the National Center for Family Literacy to help improve the literacy skills of our immigrant students and their families.”

Along with Louisville, four other cities are part of the latest $3 million expansion of the Toyota Family Literacy Program: Lincoln, Neb.; Patterson, Calif.; Pueblo, Colo.; and Rochester, N.Y.  A total of 126 school districts submitted applications for the five spots.

Created by NCFL, which is the country’s leader in the practice of raising the literacy level of parents and children simultaneously, the Toyota Family Literacy Program is NCFL’s signature initiative.  TFLP – which got its start in 2003 and now operates in 30 U.S. cities – increases basic language and literacy skills among Hispanic and other immigrant families, and provides parents with the skills they need to help their children succeed in school.  It specifically serves children in kindergarten to third grade and their parents.

The program is unique not only because it brings parents and children together in the classroom, but it also incorporates NCFL’s multicultural family literacy model, which is programming that is culturally relevant to the populations served.  Since 1991, Toyota’s commitment to NCFL programming has exceeded $36 million.

Carolina Hernández, one of the first Louisville participants along with her son, Brandon, a kindergarten student at Rangeland Elementary, said the program has already made an impact.

“Thanks to the program I am always learning,” Hernández said.  “I am now able to help my child more with his homework.  We feel good together as we both learn new things.  I am also more independent in my daily life.  When I first arrived here, I would have to pay translators to help me understand basic things.  Now, I can save my money and figure it out on my own.  I thank the Toyota Family Literacy Program so much for helping me to reach my goals.”