The Glades Family Education Program in Belle Glade served 59
adults and 28 children during the year. The program focuses on adults who
have not completed high school as well as their preschool and elementary school
age children. Many of the adult students are Latina or Haitian females who
have limited English skills and may not be literate in their native language.
Of the adult students who were tested in 2005, 97 percent demonstrated progress
in reading, listening/ language or math. One hundred percent of the preschool
children improved their literacy skills in such areas as showing interest
in books and identifying letters and sounds.
In April 2005, the adult students in both family literacy programs participated
in a county-wide adult education essay contest with the theme, My Biggest
Challenge. This submission from a student in the Glades Family Education Program
expressed a sentiment that is shared by all the parents:
"My goal is to learn very good English to help my daughter with her homework
and in the future take a better job… Here I am learning English more
and I can talk with my daughter's teacher. … I wish that my daughter
in the future will be a professional person and I want to be an example for
her. I wish the better life for my family, and I believe that the better life
for my family is a very good education."
