English Literacy / Civics Education Grants 2000-01
In 2000-01, the US Department of Education awarded the first English Literacy / Civics Education grants to provide funding to conduct English Literacy / Civics activities in adult basic skills programs. North Carolina received $199,470 in 2000-01, and used the funds to support 15 projects in community colleges and volunteer / community-based organizations. The projects included local research, curriculum development, pilot programs integrating English literacy and civics education, and innovative ways to expand existing programs while integrating them with civics education. Patrick Pittman, NCCCS ABE/ESL Coordinator oversaw the projects, working with evaluator Loren McGrail. Project staffs met twice to share their successes and challenges.
English Literacy / Civics Education Project Abstracts, 2000-01
Alamance Community College The Spanish Native Language Literacy /Civics curriculum utilizes traditional and participatory methods in teaching literacy and civics. To increase students' confidence and self-esteem a phonics based program uses as workbook to teach reading and writing. After students have learned to read and write sentences, and experiential program of field trips and speakers leads to a more participatory program in which the students develop an understanding about the life of the community. Blue Ridge Community College: ELITE Project The focus of the ELITE program was to assist customers in the development of functional skills. We concentrated on those skills needed to be effective as parents, employees, community members, and consumers. The project was operated at local elementary schools. Project partners included Blue Ridge Community College, Henderson County Public Schools, Telamon Corporation, the child and Family Resource Center, Blue Ridge Literacy Council, the Keywanette Club of East Henderson High School, individual schools, and the customers themselves. Burke County Literacy Council: Project Citizenship Project Citizenship is a program of the Burke County Literacy Council that helps immigrants prepare for and pass the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) examination. Through collaboration with a local church and the local community college, classes are offered twice a week. Trained ESL, volunteers work with the students in small
groups using texts and materials supplied by the Literacy Council. Another volunteer provides childcare and a local attorney provides legal advice pro bono to assist students enrolled in the program. Cape Fear Literacy Council and Cape Fear Community College Cape Fear Literacy Council and Cape Fear Community College collaborated on a project to integrate English language and civics instruction through providing teachers and ready-to-use kits and civics training. The Living in Wilmington: Rights and Responsibilities Resource Kits include lesson plans, reusable classroom materials, realia, and teacher resource materials organized around the themes of community participation and navigating community systems. Catawba Valley Community College: Community Civics In building Community from Diversity, Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) proposed to narrow a cultural divide in our community through the creation of a new "Bridge' Course. This course, called Community Civics, provides a missing link between English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) /Basic skills and the Citizenship Preparation classes for students who are prospective citizens. Through the new course and accompanying materials. Community Civics will close a gap for a growing portion of our community's residents empowering them with the ability to pursue successful lives in the United States. Central Carolina Community College: Civic Smart Start project Central Carolina Community College's Civic Smart Start project is designed to provide English lessons that integrate civics and literacy at the preliterate level to non speakers of English. It is innovative and unique because it is the first curriculum that is available for the preliterate level. Our preliterate curriculum is also unique in that it will be shared with community agencies and we will act as a liason between the community at large and non speakers of English. Learners who complete our preliterate units will be equipped to become literate in English, better parents, workers, role models, community members, and life long learners, thus giving each learner a "civics smart start". Central Piedmont Community College: Crossroads Café Classroom project Central Piedmont Community College's Crossroads Café Classroom project led to the implementation of a true distance learning Adult Basic skills ESL course based on the Intelecom, Inc. Crossroads Café series. Prior to receiving the grant funding, CPCC had produced 25 wrap-around segments for the first 13 episodes of the Crossroads Café series (each half-hour episode has a CPCC produced 15-minute pre-and post-viewing segment). The grant from NCCCS allowed CPCCC to pilot the course materials, develop supporting materials, and develop assessment systems. Durham County Literacy Council: E-powered to Participate
E-Powered to participate is an English Language / Civics Participation initiative conducted by the Durham County Literacy Council which focuses on two areas of civic participation: parents' roles in their children's schooling and worker safety in the workplace. The project employed the use of technologies (computers/photography) to create web based teacher/learner resources. Guilford Technical Community College: Community Ladder Guilford Technical Community College used teleconferencing and interactive video instruction to reach a diverse population of students in an open enrollment situation. The program focused on the 2000 presidential debates and incorporated instruction on rights and responsibilities of citizenship, naturalization procedures, civic participation, US history and government. The College partnered with local government and community agencies. Haywood Community College The main purpose of this project was to conduct a pilot program within the English-AsSecond (ESL) population with an emphasis on the migrant farm workers community in Haywood County that would provide English Literacy and civics education to these adults and their families. The major goal of this pilot program were: (1) to conduct local research, (2) to identify the target population and resources to serve the ESL families, (3) to implement ESL classes that integrate literacy and civics instruction where the potential ESL adult learners reside, and (4) develop innovative ways to expand and integrate existing programs with civic education. Isothermal Community College Our goal is to develop a pilot program that uses innovative, pedagogically sound ways to increase learner autonomy, encourage students to become active participants in their community, and support potential leaders in their own ethnic community. In doing this we feel we have significantly broadened the concept of civic participation from our usual narrow definition of academic preparation for citizenship. It is a-multi-level, multimedia individual program that included advanced technology skills, which our new residents will require to be full involved as parents, workers, and community members. Robeson County Church and Community Center The English Literacy / Civics project at Robeson County Church and Community Center involved the incorporation of a curriculum that allowed students to learn the English Language while at the same time gain knowledge about their community and country. This integration would also provide information for any student desiring to become US citizens. Through the use of this curriculum, newspapers and videos, students are able to develop language skills, learn their rights and responsibilities, and pursue citizenship.
VOICES: Project Focus Project Focus was a collaborative pilot project between VOICES and Cassia Multicultural to integrate English literacy and civics education through photography. The project used a participatory education approach to address issues of cultural identity and history. Out of the ten-week pilot, two products were developed; a learner generated text called A is for Altar and an accompanying curriculum guide. Both documents are available through VOICES and Peppercorn Press. Wayne Community College Wayne Community College had for major objectives for the project. First, we wanted to increase the number of immigrants mastering the "citizenship test", second, to help improve the relationship between immigrants and their communities by instructing, training, guiding, and educating them to gain skills and preparing to become more active and knowledgeable parents, employees, and community members; and third, to encourage them to become active in local, state, and national elections. Our final objective involved training for English Literacy instruction in the area of citizenship and voter registration. Wilkes Community College In response to the phenomenal growth in the ESL population in Wilkes County, Wilkes Community College has developed a Toolkit to welcome non-English speakers into the community. The Toolkit is comprised of a thirty-minute videotape program, a Services Directory, and other informational materials provided by agencies and services in the county. The Toolkit will enable our ESL newcomers to develop a familiarity with the community and its customs, and the structure and interrelationships among governmental and other service providers. The Toolkit will be presented and discussed in lab and classroom setting, and will be available at a number of public access sites, such as the public library, all public schools, the United Way, etc. For more information about the English Language / Civics Education grants, contact Patrick Pittman (919-733-7051, ext. 720, or pittmanp@ncccs.cc.nc.us).