Family Literacy Programs

In 2000, the Passport Program began to include the family's of GED and ESOL students. Education officially became a family affair for Passport students when the program was awarded family literacy funding from the Florida Department of Education.

Passport's family literacy programs empower parents with the knowledge and tools to see themselves as their child's first teacher.  Parents learn how to increase their involvement in the education of their child, and how to increase their involvement in literacy-related activities with their children.

Popular family literacy programs have included themes like CLIC, Computer Learning in the Community, where parents and children were rewarded for their participation in technology and web-based training with a home computer. Another theme focused on parents learning to identify their child's learning style and using that information to enhance their child's learning potential.

The two family programs for the 2004-2005 academic year have distinct differences in that one focuses on a multicultural flavor in education while the other emphasizes employability skills and career exploration. Parents and children participating in the multicultural program experiment with cuisines, play games, read stories and fairy tales, and discover different work experiences from around the world. The "Work-Wise" Hire Learning program gives parents and children the opportunity to explore different careers and develop values and skills for the workplace through field trips and other interactive lessons. Many of the lesson topics, such as, responsibility and stress management, are applicable for adults in the workplace and for children in school.

Watching the Passport family programs as they change and grow is exciting. A favorite tradition of staff and students alike is the "Passport Family Night" three times a year, the staff cooks supper on the grill while the students delight in competing for who can bake the tastiest dessert. A number of activities, such as story-telling, math bingo and digital art are planned ahead for the parents and children. Students are recognized for special achievements and door prizes are given away. And when the day is done, everyone is another step closer to understanding that learning truly is a family affair.