New Information Available for Families and Adult Learners
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Online Resources Help People of All Ages Gain Access to College and Careers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             

Carla Blanton
National Center for Family Literacy
859-608-4850

Peggy Atherlay
MetLife
212-578-1525

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  – (June 14, 2011) As the nation strives to remain competitive and add 5 million community college degrees by 2020, the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is releasing free information to help parents and families prepare for college. 

The new set of multimedia resources will help people unfamiliar with navigating the U.S. college system gain access and information necessary for preparing and succeeding in college and beyond.

“Parents are a key to our nation reaching its educational goals,” said Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL. “In order to produce 5 million new degrees in a decade, we need to assure that more nontraditional adults are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and that parents are well prepared to inform and nurture the educational aspirations of their children.”

Five distinct resources, produced with support from MetLife Foundation, are available free of charge at www.famlit.org/myfamilygoestocollege. Based on research conducted by NCFL, the materials focus on helping adult students transition into postsecondary education certificate or degree programs. Tested with educators and families, the materials are designed for Hispanic parents who are learning the English language, first generation college students, as well as community and college leaders and policy-makers.

The resources include:

• En Camino: Herramientas educativas para familias (in Spanish and English). Five online modules with activities for Spanish-speaking families to help increase their investment in and pursuit of educational opportunities;
• On Our Way: Educational Toolkit for Families. A program instructional guide designed to be used in Adult Education, Parent Time and Parent And Child Together (PACT) Time family and adult literacy programs.
• Turning Points: A Case Study of Family Literacy – Community College Partnerships. Descriptions of exemplary postsecondary educational transition partnerships between family literacy programs and community colleges, including successful programs in Lake City, Fla., Louisville, Ky., and Providence, R.I.
• Promoting Postsecondary Educational Success for Adults and Families—A Practical Partnership Guide. An examination of what makes a literacy program – community college transition partnership work.
• Family Literacy: A Valuable Gateway to Postsecondary Education. A presentation of issues examining the impediments to attaining a postsecondary education and how literacy programs can help with the transition and increase college graduation rates for nontraditional students.

“As all of American higher education struggles to provide a better pathway for Hispanics to enter college, resources, such as En Camino, provide an engaging, readable, interactive way for low-literacy families to introduce family members to the power of a college education in a way that respects the authority and dreams of parents for their children,” said Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College and advisor to NCFL.

Independent research validates the need for the materials. A 2010 national study found a single year of parental education has a greater impact on the likelihood of a child attending a postsecondary institution than an extra $50,000 in parental income (Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario). In addition, the recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Preparing Students for College and Careers reveals that many parents and students feel a pressing need for more information about how to access and pay for college. 

“We commend NCLF’s leadership in building family literacy and community college partnerships,” said Dennis White, MetLife Foundation president and CEO.  “These programs not only help families secure the education needed for 21^st century jobs and economic security, they help meet the ambitious national goal to increase educational attainment.”

NCFL advocates a systematic approach for using family literacy programs as a bridge to community colleges. Family literacy programs can be more efficient and effective in preparing students for college because they reach two generations simultaneously.  

About NCFL:
The National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989, is the worldwide leader in family literacy. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, visit www.famlit.org.

About MetLife Foundation:
MetLife Foundation supports education, health, civic and cultural organizations. In education, it seeks to strengthen public schools through effective teaching and collaborative leadership, and to prepare students for access to and success in higher education, particularly during the crucial first year. The Foundation’s grantmaking is informed by findings from the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher.  For more information visit www.metlife.org.