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IN THIS ISSUE Sucess Stories One Student at a Time When Readers Become Writers The Whole Family Celebrates Literacy Rewards Noriko's Story AVANCE - El Paso Success Stories Literacy Program Breaking Down Barriers A Family Plan for Literacy Success GREAT Centers on the Road to Success Addressing Learning Disabilities in the Workforce System New Faces in Texas Adult Education and Family Literacy Leadership Community Collaboration as a Success Story What’s New with LINCS and National Institute for Literacy? Welcome to our Library Free ... Things to Send For Click on Over Upcoming Events

AVANCE - El Paso Success Stories by Chandra Almony The Change That Makes a Difference Sara started in the AVANCE program in January this year. In February, she wrote this story: "Before starting in the program, my children would ask me to help them with their homework. I couldn't help them and would feel very terrible. It got to a point at which my daughter would not ask for my help. One day, I asked her why she didn't request my help with her schoolwork, and she responded, 'What for, mommy? When I ask you, you always tell me you don't know.' It was then when I decided to do something about it. I informed myself about the AVANCE program. The program has helped me significantly. I can already help my children better. But the fact that my children are proud that I am educating myself is more important." My Dream to Attend School "When I got married and my children were born, I thought that I would be in the house taking care of my children and doing housework. The dreams of me attending school again would have been postponed until my children grew up or went to school. I looked into various schools, but every school would tell me that they did not have a childcare center. That was what was holding me back in this country. I am without family - it's only me, my husband and my sons (Brandon, 6, and Bryan, 1). One day, thank God, I became aware of AVANCE by means of a flyer. I decided to investigate what it was all about. I informed myself that this program was going to help me achieve my goals. Being a well-rounded person and enriching my knowledge, with this kind of preparation, I could obtain a better job or continue studying if I wish. Now that I think of it, people who are better prepared have a better way of living, and the best contribution we can give our children is to keep studying." -Cecilia Literacy for Family Health-Language will be no Barrier! Estela is a mother of two children, Luis, 2 and Cindy, 8. She has always been dedicated to the home. She used to clean her house, go shopping for groceries and pick Cindy up from school. She looks back and says, "This is all I did all week. When I started to come to AVANCE, my life changed totally." Cindy has type 1 diabetes. Estela often had to miss class because her daughter missed school due to the disease, which she could not manage well. At AVANCE, Estela has learned enough English to communicate with Cindy's doctor and dietician. When she could not find type 1 diabetes management classes available free of charge in Spanish, she didn't let that stop her. She now attends the classes in English on Wednesday evenings and she is proud of her ability to understand and care for Cindy better. Estela's husband also helps her study to take her GED exams. Estela says, "My family is united and our future dreams are to be a family that is never discriminated against for not speaking English and for not having an education." New School, New Shoes When Rosa arrived at Lamar Elementary School in Central El Paso on registration day, she looked helpless, without confidence and a little scared. Her son, William, age 2, kept crying for a long time and looking at the children's classroom door hoping to see his mother come back. Another boy came to show off his new shoes. William, innocently, showed off his shoes-but there were so many holes in the soles of his shoes that the AVANCE staff imagined how painful it must have been for him to walk in them. We could tell Rosa was proud, so we bought William a new pair of shoes, and told Rosa that someone had donated them to AVANCE. She gave us permission to give them to him. Before, Rosa and William used to miss class when there were problems with the transportation. Now, they come walking the mile and a half from home to school, even if it is cold and raining. In just a few months, William is a happy child who loves to come to school and participate in all activities. He likes to sing, dance, read, and he really loves to be the "leader" of the day, which means he helps set out breakfast for the rest of his class. Rosa says, "I can set the example if I want to. There is no excuse. I have made progress. I knew nothing before. My goal is to try always." I was Meant to be Here Ana and her son Rafael began coming to AVANCE last September at Lee Elementary School in Northeast El Paso. Ana thought parenting classes would be fun, but she didn't really think she'd be challenged. She already had two older children in school. As she learned about the need for positive reinforcement and encouragement, she began to second-guess the way she and her husband were pressuring and threatening her older boys to pass tests at school. Things came to a crisis point and, one day, she broke down and cried in class. Ana's own words best express the impact of the changes she has gone through: "Now I know that, with what I have learned here at AVANCE, I am a person who recognizes her mistakes and who can ask for help and advice. I have to learn to forgive myself. I don't think it is by chance that I am here attending these classes. I know that God put the means for me to be here with a purpose and, do you know what it is? Learning how to be a good mother and to teach my husband, my family and the people what I am learning. I give thanks to God and this country because programs like these exist." Never Too Old to Learn and to Teach Señora Valencia is a 65 year-old great-grandmother who has been attending AVANCE classes at Lee Elementary School in northeast El Paso since September of last year. She attends with her great-grandchild, Luís, age 2, who often stays with her because mom leaves home at 3 a.m. to work in a factory. Although Señora Valencia has already raised two generations of children, she regarded herself as never too old to learn. But she didn't think she could help anybody else. At AVANCE, she was encouraged to share what she had learned by teaching mini-lessons on parenting to others. She has since surpassed all the younger moms in reaching out to the community, beginning with her own family, friends and neighbors. In six short months, Señora Valencia has made over 25 presentations to 15 other families with children in age from birth to three years old. She is having the time of her life and says that she feels young again helping others. A New Start on Life Angélica lives with her three children in a part of the Agua Dulce colonia, east of Horizon City, where there is no running water. They get their water from a tank outside their home. Before coming to AVANCE, the two older siblings went to school while little David and Angélica stayed at home. Although David was already three years old, he had no hair and did not talk. Angélica originally thought that David had no hair because of allergies to the portable water. However, after one month of attending AVANCE, his hair began to grow and he started to speak. It was discovered that stress, depression and a lack of social interaction with other children helped explain why David had so little hair and did not speak. He is now rapidly learning new words each week. When he sees the AVANCE teachers, David runs to hug them, and he loves playing with the other children. He especially enjoys painting with watercolors. David is a happy, loving child. Angélica tells us that AVANCE gave David a new start on life. Carmen's Dream At the time that Carmen entered the AVANCE program, she was living in a shelter for abused women. She now has her own place and is working toward achieving her goals. She recently wrote the following passage: "Before coming to AVANCE I was at home spending a lot of time watching TV. I didn't have a house or a job, but I had to make decisions about my future, so I decided to study English and to get my GED. At this time, I am doing volunteer work in a shelter by playing with the children, reading books with them and helping them with their homework. I have a daughter who doesn't have her left hand and we receive therapy. The therapists have told me that I am doing a good job with her and this is the reason why I would like to work with children. Also, I want my son to finish high school and attend college. He is very intelligent and he has good grades. At this time he is ten years old and he knows a lot about computers. I know he will make a better life for himself, but I need to be a good example by learning more English, earning my GED certificate and continuing on to college. Now that I am in AVANCE, the communication with my children is better and I have learned to be a better mother. When I get my GED, I would like to enter college and start a career in teaching or social work. I know I can do it because when I have dreams, sooner or later, I'll get them." The Challenge of Being a Mom Elsa has a daughter, Claudia, age 2, who has Down Syndrome and a son, José Alberto, age 4. José used to be very angry and threw a lot of tantrums. Since coming to the program, Claudia has begun to talk and walk and Betito is more calm and shares toys with others. She shares her thoughts about motherhood and accomplishing her goals: "My goals are to be a good parent, especially with Claudia who needs special care, but I cannot forget Betito. Mother: a word so small, but so immense in meaning. It's a challenge being a parent. That is why it's one of my goals. We don't understand our parents when we are children, until we become parents ourselves. My children are the most important thing in my life. I love them greatly, and I want to make whole and good people out of them. I want to teach them good habits and values because values never lose place. I want to teach them respect for others. I want them to achieve a good education since it is the best inheritance we can give them. To achieve all this, I have to prepare myself to be a good mother and to set an example to my children for life. Without any doubt, Claudia will be my major satisfaction and Betito my major pride." Little Steps, Big Changes Delia has two daughters, Carolina, 3 years old, and Stefania, 8 months. Before coming to AVANCE, Delia only took care of the physical needs of her children. She never talked to them, played with them or took them outside. Unbelievably, Carolina was afraid to play on the school playground because she had never been on one before. Delia writes how AVANCE has changed her life: "Thanks to this program I have the opportunity to study and progress. It has also made me feel better as a woman because I used to feel like a maid at home. Now, I realize that I can leave my house and meet other people, learn from them and be more independent. I feel stronger and more willing to get ahead. At the same time, it gives me time to take my knowledge to my neighbors where I tell them about the importance of an education. My daughters feel happy because they spend time with children their age. As a parent, I always look for the best for my daughters so that they may have a better life. For this reason, I want to educate myself so that in the near future I can obtain a good job, and therefore make their and my dreams come true. This program has changed my life because I have learned to overcome my fears and how wrong I was in the care of my daughters. There are dreams that are hard to achieve, but when one is willing, I think they are not hard. They simply take us time." About the Author Chandra Almony is the Development Specialist for AVANCE-El Paso focused on helping young families break the cycle of poverty through early childhood development, parenting, and adult literacy. From 1999-2001, Ms. Almony taught ESL in a primary school in rural Namibia, Southern Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer.

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