Family Literacy Program 2022

Family Literacy Program
The MSU Denver Family Literacy Program (FLP) works to break the cycle of poverty and low literacy by providing intergenerational, unified family literacy services for Metro Denver’s most vulnerable families. Many studies support the notion that parent education and involvement impact students’ success in school. These services are provided close-to-home in the participants’ neighborhoods and their children’s schools. FLP offers three major program delivery strategies: the home-based Parents as Teachers (PAT), the school-based Families Learning Together (FLT), and Spanish-language GED classes.

The FLP has expanded from Denver to three Adams County locations including STEM Launch in Thornton, Dupont Elementary in Commerce City as well as classroom space in the unused St. Augustine school building in Brighton. During 2019-2020, Families Learning Together (FLT) learning centers resided in three sites (STEM Launch, Rose Hill in Commerce City and McElwain in Denver) that served low-income immigrant families from host sites and surrounding schools reaching a total of 39 different schools in the Denver/Adams County area.

In 2020-2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, FLP services were entirely virtual. The program targeted Denver, Brighton (new to FLP Programing and including Lochbuie, Henderson, and Ft. Lupton); Commerce City; as well as the Thornton, Federal Heights, and Northglenn areas. Because classes were all online, FLP also reached students from Greeley and Ft. Collins.

A number of families live in west Denver’s public housing communities and the vast majority of families receive at least one form of public assistance. Most non-native English speaking adults, 99 percent of adult participants, have limited education, with varied literacy needs. During the 2020-2021 school year, FLP reached more than 440 adults and children (including school-based and Spanish GED programs) - fewer participants than in previous years as a result of the move to virtual programming in Spring 2020.

Your Support
FLP reaches families with economic and educational challenges. Parents lack English language skills and typically live well below poverty level, and many children experience scholastic struggles. In neighborhoods served by FLP, students who are not proficient in grade level standards exceed 60 percent.

This past year, 212 adults and 231 children (including school-aged participants) enrolled in services through the Family Literacy Program; including 97 families in FLT and 45 families in PAT. Help the Family Literacy Program educate more children and adults by supporting our program today!

To learn more about the Family Literacy Program, check out this Entravision "Noticias ya" news story.