LPS Family Literacy Program changes lives for Campbell parents, students

Shiriz arrived in Lincoln 11 years ago from Iraq with hopes of building a quality life in the United States.
 
Campbell Elementary School’s family literacy program is helping her turn all of her dreams into reality.
 
Shiriz is involved in a Lincoln Public Schools program that is transforming many lives throughout the city. Campbell is one of ten schools that host family literacy events in their buildings for immigrants and refugees. Belmont, Clinton, Elliott, Everett, Hartley, McPhee, Prescott, Randolph and West Lincoln elementary schools also offer classes for parents and students.
 
Shiriz said she has enjoyed coming to Campbell for the activities. She has learned to speak and write English, gained information about American culture and customs, met Campbell teachers and watched many school events. She has also participated in Parent and Child Together (PACT) time with her two daughters and one son.
 
“It’s a good program,” Shiriz said. “I very much like it.”
 
Jahena enrolled in the program this year after immigrating to the United States from Mexico. Her three children attend Campbell and have met many new friends. Jahena said she was eager to become part of the Campbell community through the family literacy classes.
 
“I really enjoy it,” Jahena said. “I’ve learned many things every day. I feel a lot more comfortable speaking with others.”

 
Monica Asher is the family engagement coordinator in the LPS Federal Programs Department. She said National Family Literacy Month is a good time to highlight the many ways the LPS Family Literacy Program benefits our students and families.  The program is a family-centered approach to education connecting children and their loved ones in learning.  

Participating parents attend their kid’s school Monday through Friday for two hours per day. They identify educational and career goals and engage in learning English along with other parents.  
 
“It’s incredibly helpful,” Asher said. “I can’t even begin to describe all of the good things that come from this. Parents want to help their children succeed in school, and this is something that is helping them do that. The parents are benefiting from everything they’re learning in the classes, and the children are benefiting from having their parents at school.”

 
Raya Al Zuhair is a member of Campbell’s family literacy team. She immigrated from Iraq four years ago to help her children. She wanted to become connected with local schools after arriving in Lincoln, and she began working as a paraeducator at Campbell. Asher quickly realized how intelligent, organized and caring Al Zuhair was, and she asked if she would be willing to handle more responsibilities at Campbell.
 
Al Zuhair said she has been happy to help immigrants and refugees succeed in their new homes. She and fellow team members Colin Koehler and Zainab Ozier have taught students such as Shiriz and Jahena about a whole host of important topics.
 
“Our goal is to help families navigate their way around Lincoln and learn about the school and community,” Al Zuhair said. “It’s exciting because we can see people benefiting from the program in real time. We’ve helped them learn about Lincoln and all of the customs here that may be different from their home country, and you can see them gaining confidence every day. It’s very good.”
 
One of the top priorities for the family literacy program is to help students become more familiar with the English language. Families in Campbell’s program this year speak Kurdish, Pashtun, Arabic, Spanish and Ukrainian as their native languages. Shiriz and Jahena both speak fluent English, and many of their classmates are learning key vocabulary words each day.

 
PACT Time allows parents to join their children in their regular classrooms twice a week. Al Zuhair said parents are able to gain a firsthand understanding of the American educational system, which may be different from how schools operate in their native country.
 
They watch how teachers interact with students in subjects such as reading and math, and they are able to see their children create friendships with classmates of diverse backgrounds. Teachers and parents are also able to form stronger bonds through face-to-face interaction.
 
Family Literacy classes are offered twice during the school day. One session takes place in the morning and a second session runs in the early afternoon. Childcare is provided for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, which allows parents to participate without worrying about their children.
 
Many activities take place in the school building, but Campbell parents and children have also spent valuable time on field trips. One class took place at the Lincoln Children’s Museum earlier this semester. Parents became more familiar with downtown Lincoln during the visit, and children enjoyed learning about fire trucks, grocery stores and banks.
 
“We’re learning about everything right now,” Jahena said. “We’re learning about the food, the culture, everything. It’s fun to do this with classmates.”

 
Al Zuhair said many parents and children have expressed appreciation for the welcoming environment at Campbell. She felt that was why the family literacy program has helped students such as Shiriz and Jahena begin to realize their American dreams.
 
“You can tell how our teachers are so supportive,” Al Zuhair said. “They’re extremely cooperative with the program because they want all of our students to succeed. It’s the same way with everyone here. The nurses, the librarians, the principal, the entire administration. Everyone here wants to help people.”

Interested in learning more about our Family Literacy Program and other services offered by LPS Federal Programs? Visit our website at https://home.lps.org/federal.

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