Americana Community Center
Supporting education and successful integration of the entire family
Note: Voting has ended and winners will be announced on December 1st at Metro United Way’s Community Pep Rally!
Description of the Innovation:
1. Summarized— Working with multi-cultural refugees and immigrant families in the South End of Louisville to support education and successful integration of the entire family through a Family Education Program that offers Adult Education, Children’s Education, Parent Education, and Parent and Child Together (PACT) time
2. What makes it unique—The Family Education Program at Americana Community Center (ACC) works with families and children of all ages, with varying English levels and cultural backgrounds, in a community-based setting. Immigrant and refugee families can face an array of obstacles as they adjust to their new life in the U.S. including cultural barriers, low-wage work, lack of education, language barriers, discrimination, and post-traumatic stress disorder. After their arrival, children in the family learn English much more quickly than their parents, thus becoming the interpreter for the family, which places incredible stress on the traditional family hierarchy. By connecting families through language development, literacy and education, the additional stress on the family is decreased significantly while family members learn together. ACC works with the entire family to support a healthy integration process as these families adjust to their new life in the U.S.
3. Project plan— The ACC Family Education Program just entered a new program year and classes are offered four times per week in the mornings and two times per week in the evenings. Americana has adapted a nationally recognized family literacy model to serve an international population in a community setting. Collaboration with community resources is an important factor to the success of this program, including a partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools to provide educational services. After initial funding support from the CE&S Foundation to launch the program, Americana Community Center has generated new collaborations and funding partners, including Metro United Way’s Gheens “Bridges to Tomorrow” Initiative, to continue and expand the project. ACC also has a growing volunteer program to support program implementation as Family Education continues to grow.
I vote for Americana Community Center, this is the largest community center of it’s kind in the USA. Amercana serves families of many diverse dialects which is not an easy task.
You may know any population growth we have enjoyed in Louisville has been due to growth in our immigrant population. The Americana Community Center is a hub for this important community. Whether it is job training, support for families, educational programs for children or adults, advocacy, recreation, language classes — I could go on and on –ACC deserves our support and commitment! Please give what you can.
Most of us were born in this country, which makes us among the luckiest people on the planet. Our good fortune is enhanced by our new neighbors who come from foreign lands. Just as we see the world afresh when we work with children who are discovering their life with new eyes and a sense of awe, we best understand our heritage by helping those who have come here from strife that, in many cases, exceeds that of our forefathers. More than those of us who are natural citizens, the families served by Americana are truly living the American Dream.
Americana is doing more than any other agency to help our new neighbors find stability and become productive members of our community. The families served by Americana are often displaced from their homelands by war or famine. They come here looking for opportunity, not a handout. They bring new ideas and energy, and they help us move forward in this era when any successful metropolitan area will have an international culture and economy. Please help Americana support and enrich their lives. In turn, you will enrich your own.
I voted for ACC – the impact that ACC makes each year on families and the community is immeasurable.
Congratulations ACC. You deserve this and much more… Thanks for the great job you all are doing in the Louisville Community that is very much needed… Helping those in need is the best way to show our solidarity… Un Millon de Gracias!
I vote for ACC. They provide a greatly needed service to the international community!
I voted for ACC. Like many Americans, I had relatives that immigrated to the United States to provide a better life for my family. A life that I now have the privilege to live. ACC provides tremendous support for others to participate in this same American dream as my family and I have.
I vote for ACC, like many people from all over the world, it is a very much needed service to help provide diversity, understanding, and compassion among people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
I vote for ACC,because they are doing a Great job. ACC provides a tremendous support for people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
@Victor Munderere
[Part of this comment has been removed by the administrator due to failure to comply with this blog's guidelines for commenting.] you dont know anything about this ACC,you took our money we raised we dont need you
Hi Jessie- While we encourage everyone to share opinions on our blog, we also ask that they do so in a respectful way that helps contribute to a dialogue about the issue/s at hand, rather than target any one person or organization. It sounds like you might need to resolve something with ACC, and in that case you would likely get a better response by talking directly to them. Best, Erin McMahon (administrator)