Mott Haven Family Stars - Family Literacy Program

Program Overview

East Side House's Family Literacy Program stands out as a
national model. Families are improving their own education together while transforming their community. This groundbreaking program, predominantly serving immigrant families, uses an innovativetwo-generation approach of improving language and literacy skills while building leadership skills of parents.

Back in 2013, East Side House was selected as one of five organizations to implement the new program. The
overall goals of the Family Literacy Program neatly align with the mission of East Side House: to provide education as a gateway out of poverty and to support each family member in the pursuit of their educational goals. The program is designed to be
relevant to everyday life. Its curriculum infuses vocabulary and literacy strategies in such lessons as preparing for a parent-teacher conference. The program not only focuses on boosting literacy for children, but engages parentsin their child's learning, both at home and within the community. Regardless of
their own academic abilities, our support services give parents the tools to enhance their ability to provide academic support to their children.

Community service is also a core component of the program.
By engaging families with projects that improve their own neighborhoods, their hands-on involvement helps them apply their new language skills while giving them an active and visible place in their community.

Student and Volunteer Success Stories