Arts and Literacy Program
Coalition for Hispanic Family Services

The Arts and Literacy Program (ALP) of the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services is about building literacy and strengthening families. The ALP has a tremendous success rate in teaching young people to read and write. By using the arts, it engages children as young as 6 in comprehensive literacy education and sparks their imaginations. By involving their families every step of the way, the program reaches beyond basic literacy skills to improve participants' overall success in school and expand their possibilities for the future.

Serving 190 children annually, the ALP operates after school during the school year and provides all-day services during the summer. In pursuit of literacy and understanding, the children explore a different arts area each month and, working in groups, create non-traditional arts projects that explore diverse themes. A full range of artistic disciplines, including video/photography, visual arts, creative writing, drama, dance/creative movement, yoga, martial arts, robotics, and music, rotate monthly. At the end of each rotation, the students discuss their work, using the themes and vocabulary they have learned.

Acknowledging the link between parents' participation and a child's achievement in school, the program also ends each month with a Family Literacy Workshop. These start by showcasing the children's work and transition into an arts-based family literacy activity. Through the showcasing process, a host of new skills are acquired, including vocabulary development, leadership, and public speaking skills. The program's art therapy component also helps strengthen families through group and individual counseling, as well as casework services.

The success of the ALP can be measured by its 85 percent year-to-year retention rate for participating students. Six-year-olds entering the program learn to read and write within three months, and more than 90 percent of current students in the program read at grade level. The impact on their performance in school is reflected in higher grades and increased interest in learning. The accomplishments of the Arts and Literacy Program are a testament to the role the arts can play in improving academic achievement and bringing families along on a child's educational journey.