Cincinnati / September 11, 2014
You might say Beech Acres speaks “Parenting”—in a way, it’s a universal language. No matter the nationality, race, geography, gender, or religion of a parent, we all love our kids and want the best for them. That’s one of the reasons we’re excited to embark on a new partnership this school year with the Academy of World Languages (AWL).
At AWL, we will provide Family Peer Support (FPS) to legal immigrants from dozens of countries across the globe, who are settled in Cincinnati by the U.S. Department of State. Jill Smith, Resource Coordinator at AWL, describes a typical refugee parent arriving to enroll his or her children. “They mostly come here from a refugee camp. Three days later they’re walking into our office to fill out a 30-page packet—in English—to enroll their child in school. They’ve possibly never even been in a formal educational setting. They’ve never seen a school bus.”
Thanks, in part, to funding from The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, we will help parents overcome the many barriers they face to helping their children achieve school success. Beech Acres’ Mental Health Program Manager, Jaimi Cabrera, explains, “Our Family Engagement Coordinator will reach out to families and connect them with valuable school and community resources. That person keeps the big picture in view. Meanwhile, a Family Peer Support Provider may serve as a coach and advocate for parents, walking ‘hand-in-hand’ with them as they receive services, answering questions that may arise.”
History of AWL
Founded in 1985 as a foreign language magnet school, and part of Cincinnati Public Schools, AWL serves a population that is roughly half local and half international. More than 40 countries and 30 languages are represented. Local parents send their children to the school for its strong academic foundation. Their kids learn a second language and get the benefits of exposure to new cultures.
Jill says, “In one classroom, we’ve had as many 13 different countries represented. So being able to learn about each other’s cultures, customs, the games they play at home… You just can’t create that anywhere else. The interactions among the students are just outstanding.”
The school seeks to not only serve children’s educational requirements, but the whole family’s needs, knowing that a student’s success is directly related to his or her family’s adjustment to a new environment. AWL is one of a growing number of Community Learning Centers in Cincinnati, schools that join forces with relevant community services to nurture families.
Darlene Kamine, Executive Director of the Community Learning Center Institute, has been instrumental in developing such places in Cincinnati since 1999. “Each school has its own set of partnerships and its own approach to supporting the vitality of its unique neighborhood,” she says.
AWL serves families from every part of Cincinnati. “It’s a one-and-only,” Darlene tells us. “Nothing else has the challenges, but also the excitement and the opportunity that this brings.”
Read more…
Read Full Article OnlineDownload PDF of Full Article