OUR STORY

Celebration of Reading is truly a star-studded event that our sponsors and donors look forward to each year, but what is truly special are the lives we are touching and the people we are helping. Let us introduce you to just a few of our families:

Life for Ana Cadena was indeed a struggle, the mother of five young children and sole financial provider when her husband was injured on the job. But Ana saw a light at the end of her very chaotic tunnel when she enrolled in the Family Literacy Academy at6 Lake Wales with a goal to earn her GED, go to college and become a better role model to her children. For two years,  Ana worked while also taking free classes at the academy. Her dedication paid off! Ana passed her GED is pursuing college to become an immigration lawyer through a the Family Literacy Initiative scholarship she was recently awarded in partnership with Florida Association of Post Secondary Colleges.

"I came to the United States to seek a better life and new beginnings. When I tried to become a citizen I went through many trials and heartaches. I finally sat down and filled out the (immigration) papers myself. This was a good decision. My paperwork was accepted. That was a victory for my family and me. These are the things I want to help other immigrants with so they can have a better life too," said Ana.
 

Leticia Rojas remembers the anguish she felt 13 years ago when her one-year-old son came down with a high fever.. She was living in Winter Garden and had to take her sick child to a bus stop 20 minutes away, then take a bus to downtown Orlando and wait for another bus to get to Apopka -- the only place she knew of that had a clinic with a bilingual staff.

It was a trip that took several hours for what turned out to be strep throat and an ear infection. Rojas, an immigrant from Mexico, could not speak English. "I felt like I was disabled," said Rojas, 43. "I couldn't speak to people."  Leticia decided it was time to overcome her fear. She had to become a driver. She had to learn English.  Leticia has now accomplished all three goals, thanks in part to the GROWS Literacy Academy, a nonprofit group that helps immigrants learn literacy skills to improve their lives.  
 
Because of your generosity we reach on average 106,00 parents and children each year, providing them meaningful ways to become confident and successful learners.
Funds from Celebration will fund Family Literacy Academies located around the state to serve families who agree to work hard; parents work on learning English as a second language or earning their GED, and their children are also enrolled in educational programming. Our programs include: Apopka GROWS Family Literacy Academy, Calhoun Family Literacy Academy, Deaf Family Literacy Academy (Broward and Pinellas), Family Literacy Academy at Lake Wales, Jump Start Family Literacy Academy (Immokalee), Learning Together Family Literacy Academy (DeSoto County), Parent Power Family Literacy Academy (Palm Beach), The Presbyterian Learning Center Family Literacy Academy of Tampa Bay

Our grant recipients represent a blend of community and school-based organizations including public and charter schools, housing authorities, libraries, local education foundations, and faith-based organizations. Here is how your contributions are making a difference:

• Nearly 21,000 parents and children served in adult education, GED classes, early childhood education, and Parent and Child Together Time at no cost to the families last year
• Among adult students, 94% of learners who completed one literacy level remained enrolled to continue learning. We found, adults who remained in a program long enough to advance one literacy level, continued with the program, advancing more than one level.
• Among Kindergarten students, 78% performed at or above grade level by the end of the academic year, indicating they are prepared to start 1st grade.
• 82% of families had more than 10 books available to children in their homes after participating. Prior to the program, only 59% of families had more than 10 books in their home.
• 66% of parents reported they were more likely to help their child with homework after they participated. That represents a significant increase of 30% when compared to parent response prior to the program.