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Maine Family Literacy Initiative
Maine Family Literacy Initiative 1996-2009 The Maine Family Literacy Initiative (MEFLI) began in 1996 when the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy partnered with the Maine Department of Education to develop and expand family literacy programs throughout the state. Maine was the first of the four state initiatives to be funded by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and it has been continuously funded by generous donations from Maine residents and the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy for thirteen years. In August of 1996, the first fourteen grants were awarded, totaling $100,000. Since then, programs have been funded in colleges, adult education programs, elementary schools, libraries, Literacy Volunteer affiliates, medical centers, and community-based organizations. In June 2009 the Maine Family Literacy Initiative will have awarded 204 family literacy grants, totaling $3,577,307. In August, 2005, a newly formed Maine Family Literacy Initiative Advisory Board met for the first time. The Board has helped create a greater awareness of the initiative and has provided guidance on the application and selection of grantees. Members of the board represent a variety of groups such as: Head Start; Maine Humanities Council; No Child Left Behind; Adult Education; Literacy Volunteers; Libraries; Early Childhood; and Parents. In 2003, the Maine Family Literacy Initiative began funding $5,000 planning grants to encourage communities to examine the need for family literacy programming, review existing resources and services, develop partnerships needed for successful programming and develop a solid application for funding in the following year. In May 2007, the Maine Family Literacy Initiative Advisory Board heard the findings of a year-long research project on the long-term impact of planning grants on the sustainability of family literacy programming from the University of Maine. Study findings indicated that planning grants are an important component of the resources available to communities to plan and implement family literacy services and are most helpful to grantees with no prior experience with family literacy. In 2008, The Maine Family Literacy Initiative announced a new program called “Lighthouse Grants.” These grants were awarded to five well-established, model family literacy programs that proposed outreach activities to support the promotion and expansion of family literacy services in Maine. In addition, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy launched a new Maine Family Literacy Initiative website at www.mainefamilyliteracy.com and posted a new on-line publication called “Sustaining Your Program.” In March of 2009, the Maine Lighthouse Grantees collaborated with the Maine Department of Education, early childhood providers and other partner agencies to present a conference called “Literacy Connections 2009: Improving Literacy through Community Collaborations.” A second conference, called Strengthening Families and Communities through Literacy is planned for March 12, 2010. For more information on the upcoming conference and other MEFLI professional development, visit www.mainefamilyliteracy.com Questions about the Maine Family Literacy Initiative and applications can be sent to MEFLI at: Becky Dyer, Director Maine Family Literacy Initiative 207-441-9965
Family Literacy Publication
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