Plano Family Literacy Program Receives Prestigious Grant from Barbara Bush Foundation
June 27, 2012
The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has awarded $50,000 to the Plano ISD Education Foundation to support Plano Family Literacy, one of nine recipients selected in the 2012 grant competition totaling almost $400,000. Two additional programs were selected to receive $5,000 planning grants.
Members of the Munoz family enjoyed a father’s night event this spring at the Plano Family Literacy center.
The grant will support Plano Family Literacy’s mission to build healthy families by working with the entire family unit developing life skills, literacy skills and a strong commitment to family wholeness.
“We are privileged to partner with The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to help fund this vital program,” said Lisa Raskin, president of the Plano ISD Education Foundation. “Thanks to this grant, we will be able to support more low-literacy families in our community as they strive to improve their reading skills and in turn better their lives and ability to participate in society.”
 Members of the Reyes family enjoyed a book during library time recently at the Plano Family Literacy center. The children love it when mom reads to them.
“The ability to read, write and comprehend empowers people to create brighter and more prosperous futures for themselves, their families and their communities,” said Mrs. Bush. “Through the efforts of our Texas Fund and the family literacy programs supported, we believe that it is important this year in hard times to volunteer more, give more money and use our resources to support family literacy programs.”
“Because we believe the parent is the first teacher in a child’s life, we are committed to teaching parents how to learn with their children,” said Mark Allen, executive director of student and family services for Plano ISD.
 It's never too early to read books to children, as parent Jaime Mendez knows.
The awards were announced by Neil Bush on behalf of his mother, Former First Lady Barbara Bush. Neil and his wife Maria serve as the Foundation’s Chairs of the Texas efforts supporting family literacy.
“We’re excited about of the impact that these worthy programs have on families in Texas and are proud to provide financial support for their important work,” says Neil Bush. “Given my mother’s legacy commitment to raising awareness and supporting family literacy initiatives, these grants carry extra prestige bearing her name.”
Grantees were selected through a vigorous application and selection process. These innovative family literacy programs will be able to develop or expand their reach into their communities. Awardees were selected based on their ability to demonstrate experience and success in providing literacy programming, the creativity of their outreach activities and the diversity of their partnerships and target audiences.
Barbara Bush Foundation
for Family Literacy
 A preschooler at the Plano Family Literacy enjoys completing a matching game during center time.
Since 1996, the Texas initiative has awarded 169 grants totaling almost $4.8 million for family literacy programs in Texas. Founded by Former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1989, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy supports the development and expansion of family literacy programs—in settings where parents and children read and learn together - across the United States. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations, correctional institutions, homeless shelters, schools and school districts, libraries and community- and faith-based agencies. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $43 million to nearly one-thousand family literacy programs in 50 states, including the nation's capital. To learn more, visit www.barbarabushfoundation.com.
Preschool students enjoy their kitchen center.
Contact
Harriet Smith, Texas Grant Program Director, Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL) at Texas A&M University, 979.845.6615, hsmith@tamu.edu or
Liz Hirst, Vice President, Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy 850.562.5300.
2012-2013 Grantees
Advocacy Outreach, Elgin, TX
Communities in Schools Central Texas, Austin, TX
Lamar CISD, Rosenberg, TX
Austin Learning Academy, Austin, TX
Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX
Plano ISD Education Foundation, Plano, TX
Victoria Adult Literacy Council, Victoria, TX
Literacy Council of Tyler, Tyler, TX
In addition to these grants, two planning grants were awarded to support building coalitions to develop future family literacy programming. Planning grants will go to Aberg Center in Dallas and Northside Inter-Community Agency in Fort Worth.
Plano ISD Family Literacy
 Children at Plano Family Literacy enjoyed reading to their canine friends during a visit from a group of therapy dogs.
Plano Family Literacy is a support program through Plano ISD’s student and family services department. It works in conjunction with the district and other community partners. The Plano Family Literacy program is housed at the Allan K. and Carolyn H. Bird Education Center at 1300 19th Street in Plano and coordinated by Jane Lilliston. For more information contact 469.752.2253.
Plano ISD Education Foundation
The Plano ISD Education Foundation is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with the mission to help all students in Plano public schools achieve their full potential by providing financial support to educators and academic programs. The Plano ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors comprises business and community leaders who work to maintain excellence in Plano schools. The Foundation provides grants to educators, programs that support academic enrichment to Plano ISD students, emergency assistance for teachers and staff members in crisis, as well as programs aimed at recruiting and retaining quality teachers. To learn more about the Plano ISD Education Foundation, contact Carlos Sastoque, executive director, at 469.752.8091 or visit www.pisd.edu/foundation.
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