"I talk better. I've been here [in the United
States] 15 years, no talk. I come here [Project CLASS] one year, I talk a
little." - Participant
Project CLASS was a collaborative project of the
Clayton County Board of Education, the Georgia Mutual Assistance Consortium,
and CSAL. Funded by a three-year Family English Literacy grant from the U. S.
Department of Education, Project CLASS was designed for literacy enhancement
among limited English populations including Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese,
and Hispanic families. These families needed not only language and literacy
instruction, but cultural knowledge, school support skills, and information
about family-focused community resources. Project CLASS provided both
intergenerational and age-graded classes for adult family members, their
out-of-school youth, and their preschool and school-age children. CSAL's
evaluation of the project showed only limited gains in literacy, due in part
to sporadic attendance. However, the participants indicated strong
satisfaction with the program and generally felt that they had improved their
English language and literacy proficiency. CSAL's evaluation included
recommendations for family literacy, such as using a thematic approach,
providing intergenerational activities, and offering strong motivation for
participants to remain in the program long enough to experience gains in
language and literacy skills. The benefits of Project CLASS transcended the
acquisition of language. One adult participant said that she enjoyed spending
time together with her children in the classes, as well as with other
families. Her son, too, said he enjoyed getting to know his classmates from
other countries. Isolation from multicultural neighbors has been replaced by
friendships formed through English as a common language. Moreover, the
participants have learned to respect each other's cultures through holiday
celebrations, food, music and dance, literature, and art.
