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Latest News Downtown Languages Receives State, National and International Funding
Eugene, OR - March 10, 2010
Downtown Languages (DTL), a Eugene based nonprofit agency, has received three educational grants for a host of course offerings for immigrant families. A $12,000 grant was awarded from the Mexican government's Institute for Mexicans Abroad/IME-Becas Fellowship Program in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley. It is the largest grant of its kind in the state of Oregon, and one of the four largest granted by IME in 2010 for immigrant education in the United States.
The IME-Becas Fellowship funding provides partial tuition scholarships to adult Mexicans for both English as a Second Language classes and bilingual computer skills (English/Spanish) classes.
"The vast majority of our students are working one or more minimum wage jobs, while trying to support families here and in their native countries," said Kim Knowlen, Downtown Languages' Director. "Even our modest tuition of about $3 per class can present a hardship."
The IME-Becas Fellowship Program supports Mexican and U.S. efforts to provide educational opportunity to the Mexican population living in the United States. It allows Downtown Languages to reduce tuition by fifty percent, assisting current and future students to develop the skills they need to advance their educations and careers.
In support of Downtown Languages' holistic approach to literacy, the IME-Becas Fellowship Program has also provided a stipend for the Plaza Comunitaria program coordination. Downtown Languages is the official site of the Plaza Comunitaria in Lane County. The Plaza is an extension of the Mexican public education system that offers students the opportunity to obtain their official primary and secondary diplomas through internet-based study modules. The Plaza is free and available to all native Spanish speakers.
Safeco Insurance Foundation Education Initiative has granted DTL $20,000 to support two additional courses for immigrant families. In collaboration with the Lane Educational Service District's Migrant Education Program, DTL will offer a family literacy class, Pilas!, at HeadStart of Lane County's Whiteaker School site beginning in April.
"This is really an exciting opportunity to offer literacy classes for the whole family," said Knowlen. "Childcare, pre-kinder and adult English classes will be available at the same time and all at the same Whiteaker location. This model was very successful in a pilot program offered in spring 2009. Safeco clearly recognizes the impressive outcomes from this innovative educational model."
In addition, the Safeco grant funds a program for at-risk migrating farmworker youth 16 - 21 years of age. "Pasos al Futuro ('Steps to Success') addresses the unique educational and job readiness needs of a population that have been largely ignored and under-served," said Knowlen. The classes focus on English language development and college/career transition. The Pasos al Futuro classes and the Pilas! Family Literacy program will run simultaneously at Whiteaker to improve accessibility for the entire family.
Downtown Languages has also received a $2100 grant from the Portland based Black United Fund of Oregon. These funds support two additional free literacy courses that are now available at DTL's downtown Eugene location: Heritage Spanish, designed for adult native Spanish speakers who have little or no primary education and the High School Equivalency Program Preparation course (HEP Prep.) HEP Prep was designed in collaboration with the University of Oregon's High School Equivalency Program. Through this course, Spanish speakers gain the math and reading skills needed to pass the university's HEP entrance exam and begin studying for their General Education Program (GED) diplomas.Knowlen said, " These grants couldn't have come at a better time. The slowdown in the economy has severely impacted our immigrant community. We are delighted these funding partners recognize the educational needs of these families and have reached out to support them."
Established in 2004, Downtown Languages is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to developing literacy, language, lifeskills and cultural competence. DTL offers a range of free and low-cost educational programs for immigrants, which also includes a Saturday morning U.S. Citizenship and Civics class. DTL provides Spanish translation services, workplace language training and Spanish classes for English speakers from its downtown Eugene location.
