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Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: ALIA FARAJ THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2003 (850) 488-5394
Governor Bush Announces Family Literacy Sustainability Grant Recipients TALLAHASSEE - Governor Jeb Bush today announced $500,000 in new funding to support family literacy programs. The Family Literacy Initiative Sustainability Grants are funded through Just Read, Florida!, and will provide continued backing for 12 family literacy programs across the state. "Family literacy programs bring parents and children together in the classroom to learn and to support each other's academic and personal education goals. These programs are dedicated to strengthening Florida's families and should continue to be funded," Governor Bush said. "I'm proud that through this unique private/public partnership, we can continue to support these vital programs." The selected programs have received funding from the Governor's Family Literacy Initiative in the past. As part of the grant selection process, applicants were asked not only to describe their program design and evaluation methods, but also to create a program sustainability plan that could be further developed during the funding year. This effort will also allow the Governor's Family Literacy Initiative to provide additional fundraising training opportunities to the programs at no additional cost to the program. For an example, program directors will be able to attend a special training session on program sustainability offered by the National Center for Family Literacy in Orlando in March 2004. Family literacy encompasses a unique educational approach that includes four separate but integrated components. Parents receive adult education, often focusing on improving job skills or English language skills. Children receive individualized education appropriate for their age and developmental level. In addition, parents take part in classes to help them understand their children's literacy development in order to learn ways to support that development at home. The Governor's Family Literacy Initiative is a unique effort between the Governor's Office and the Volunteer Florida Foundation. The goals of the program are to establish literacy as a value in every family, and reinforce the belief that home is a child's first school, parents are a child's first teachers and reading is a child's first subject. On November 30, 1999, former First Lady Barbara Bush joined Governor Bush in launching the Governor's Family Literacy Initiative for Florida. Initiated as a pilot program in southeast Florida, the program has grown statewide and has served nearly 7,000 adults and children. Programs provide literacy training to both parents and their children. Founding/sustaining sponsors include Just Read, Florida!,The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, the Annenberg Foundation, Washington Mutual, Verizon Communications, the Florida Lottery, Cooper and Hayes, Publix Supermarket Charities, Comcast Cable, Carnival Cruise Lines, Jeffrey and Karen Saull, GE Power Systems, State Farm Insurance, Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation, Walt Disney World Company and Scholastic. For more information on the Governor's Family Literacy Initiative, visit www.flamentoring.org. To volunteer as a literacy tutor, contact the Florida Literacy Coalition at 1-800-237-5113. # # #
Sustainability Family Literacy Grant Recipients |