Literacy For All, a donor-advised fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, is pleased to announce that it has awarded 10 community-based organizations in Georgia a total of $214,610 in grants to support multigenerational literacy programs.
Literacy For All supports the implementation of new and existing programs, projects or efforts that address breaking the cycle of multigenerational low literacy across the state by focusing on children, families and adults. Literacy is a fundamental component of a thriving community. Parents and caregivers are a child's first teacher, yet many parents and adults need additional support to help their child achieve critical literacy development milestones. That's why it's important to leverage and support effective partnerships that focus on multigenerational approaches to literacy improvements.
“Literacy is a leading indicator of success on so many levels,” said Alicia Philipp, president of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “Improving literacy at all ages is essential to helping our region attain critical benchmarks such as third grade reading proficiency and quality access to good jobs.”
2017 Literacy For All Grantees
Located in Quitman, Georgia, Brooks County Family Connection is a local community development collaborative that works to improve outcomes of children, families and communities.
This Literacy For All grant will support their multigenerational program focusing on: book distribution and training for families about the importance of reading, literacy awareness in the community, and a new initiative providing books for the jail library.
Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, Communities in Schools (CIS) is a partnership with the Baldwin County Certified Literate Community Program to continue working on school age literacy and drop-out prevention, and literacy programs for parents of these students. This Literacy For All grant will empower work with principals, teachers and support personnel to provide resources in the school to identify and remove barriers to students’ ability to learn, and will also link parents to opportunities for adult learning and GED completion.
Located in Sparks, Georgia, Cook County Family Connection is an organization working to promote family literacy in their local community.
This Literacy For All grant will enable the organization to strengthen literacy workshops and book distribution efforts.
Headquartered in Dunwoody, Georgia, Fathers Incorporated is dedicated to strengthening the community and family infrastructure by encouraging and enabling the positive involvement of fathers in the lives of their children.
This Literacy For All grant will support the "Real Dads Read" initiative, a two-generation literacy program that addresses K-8th grade children and their fathers/male caregivers by encouraging the love for reading, improving literacy skills and strengthening bonds.
Located in Clarkston, Georgia, Friends of Refugees is empowering refugees through opportunities for well-being, education and employment.
This Literacy for All grant will enable additional support for the two-generation approach to English fluency and literacy instruction/support for refugees living in/near Clarkston.
Located in Leesburg, Georgia, Lee County Family Connection is dedicated to the mission of improving conditions for at-risk children and families in their community.
This Literacy For All grant will provide language nutrition (materials that provide opportunities for language-rich interactions within the entire family unit that facilitate language development) to families who are part of the Backpack Blessings initiative. Backpack Blessings provides food on the weekends for children from birth to 8th grade who would otherwise go hungry.
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Literacy Action is the oldest, largest and leading adult basic education nonprofit in the southeastern U.S. Their mission is to build better futures for undereducated adults by teaching literacy, life and work skills that empower them to reach their highest potential.
This Literacy For All grant will be used to enhance and expand the multigenerational family literacy program which prepares parents to help their children with homework. The family literacy program is being piloted in the Atlanta Public Schools.
Located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, Los Niños Primero is a year-round educational program for Latino children, working to provide families and children with the tools they need to be successful in school and beyond.
This Literacy For All grant will support low income, pre-K Latino students by engaging both students and their parents in learning throughout the year.
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Sheltering Arms Early Education and Family Center has provided high-quality early education, child care and comprehensive family support services since 1888. Serving more than 3,600 children annually and their families at 15 metropolitan Atlanta locations, Sheltering Arms consistently meets accreditation standards by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
This Literacy For All grant will support the Operation Storybook Initiative, which encourages all children to learn and to love reading as early as possible. The grant will also support tuition subsidies for high quality early learning.
Located in Macon, Georgia, United Way of Central Georgia's First Steps Initiative provides universal support services for all expectant parents and children from birth to age 5 and their families.
This Literacy For All grant will support the First Steps Initiative for families with children under 5 or those expecting a child by providing early literacy education to parents.