Contact: Tony Tagliavia, Media Manager | (414) 475-8675 | tagliaaj@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
Toyota Family Learning celebration set for Weds., June 3; one of a number of parent initiatives across MPS
MILWAUKEE – More than 60 parents/guardians and their children will “graduate” together Wednesday evening from an intergenerational program at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Milwaukee Environmental Sciences Academy, an MPS charter school in collaboration the Milwaukee Teacher Education Center (MTEC).
The graduates are the first local participants in the Toyota Family Learning program through the National Center for Families and Learning (NCFL). Milwaukee Environmental Sciences was one of just five organizations nationwide to win a $175,000, three-year grant from NCFL and Toyota to operate the program.
NCFL President and Founder Sharon Darling will join Milwaukee Environmental Sciences Principal Roseann Lococo, Milwaukee Teacher Education Center (MTEC) Executive Director Dr. Alisia Moutry and Andrew Toyota General Manager KC Han for the celebration and graduation set for Wednesday, June 3 at 6 p.m. at Andrew Toyota, 1620 W. Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee 53209. Media are invited and welcome to attend.
Participating parents and guardians committed to spending a minimum of two hours per week at their child’s school, learning about what their children are learning as well as taking courses in financial literacy, resume writing, educational options and more. The parent/guardian participants also had to be involved in at least three community service projects. Driven by the parents, those projects included building outdoor mosaic benches, a book library and collecting food and toiletries for those in need.
Parents also had to commit to spend two hours per week outside of school in parent-child activities such as homework time, Family Time Machine Kits (provided by NCFL), literacy/math curriculum boosters, library/museum visits, and other community related field experiences.
“To me, it’s an amazing accomplishment,” Milwaukee Environmental Sciences Principal Roseann Lococo said. “Our parents have committed an incredible amount of time and energy and I’m proud of what they have achieved, not only for Milwaukee Environmental Sciences but for their families as well.”
The program is one of a number of parental involvement efforts in place around Milwaukee Public Schools, including the school-based parent coordinator positions put in place beginning this school year and the Milwaukee Parent Institute program in the eight MPS high schools participating in the GEAR UP program. The GEAR UP program is working to increase awareness and readiness for college among students in the classes of 2017 and 2018.
