Schools
Boulder Valley School District: Family Literacy Program Provides BVSD Family Members With English Lessons
"We are helping them become fluent so they can make the money that they can make in the United States," added Cowan.
December 11, 2021
While it is true that the primary focus of the Boulder Valley School District is educating young people, few folks know that for the past 40 years BVSD’s Family Literacy program has also been working to support families and improve their quality of living – by teaching family members English, helping them earn their GED and connect them to local colleges.
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“We want to help those who want to work to help make things better for themselves, for their families,” said Missy Cowan, who has been leading the program for more than two decades. “We are there to support them too.”
The program serves an impressive variety of adults – at different places on the spectrum of English fluency and different amounts of knowledge. Here are some examples:
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- Mother wanted to graduate with her daughter
“We had a mother whose daughter was going to graduate five years out. She said, ‘my goal is to get my GED before she graduates.’ I don’t want to cry, but she did it and we celebrated with both of them,” Cowan said. “She took her last test two weeks before her daughter's graduation.”
- Employer was having difficulty communicating with workers
“The company would write memos that would go out and they didn’t think they were getting it. With the support of the company, we worked with several individuals who didn’t want a GED, but wanted better understanding,” Cowan said.
One of them, however, got their GED and now runs two Wahoo Fish Tacos in the Denver area.
“A nurse from Mexico was able to get their degree translated, but was in the kitchen washing dishes because the language is not there,” Cowan said.
She eventually got her GED and now works for Compass Nursing Arts helping those who speak Spanish become nurses.
Cowan says that she and her team of adult educators and paraprofessionals are continually celebrating achievements large and small with participants.
In some cases it is a parent that wants to participate in their child’s education, while in others it is doctors and other professionals that just need to learn English so they can live up to their potential.
“We are helping them become fluent so they can make the money that they can make in the United States,” added Cowan.
A big part of the focus is building not only the skills, but in supporting them as they bravely begin to engage with the world in English.
“This is all about confidence, comfort and trust,” Cowan said. “They are afraid that people will think they are stupid.”
Oftentimes they will work through specific situations, like a parent-teacher conference, providing them with what they need to engage a teacher.
“We let them know that even if their English is broken, that is good,” Cowan said. “That is a crucial first step.”
She also encourages them to advocate for themselves and that it is okay to ask follow up questions if they don’t understand something.
Before coming to education, Cowan was a probation officer and she says some of those skills pay off.
“I’m always listening, analyzing and trying to figure out what they are really saying to me. Then I can ask the right questions about what they can get from individuals, to have them talk to me more, to have them go deeper,” Cowan said. “Oftentimes they are coming from different countries and we know there are cultural issues, as well. There have been times when we’ve had to break down the men having female teachers. The men speaking to me and seeing me as a female boss. We have had countries against countries and we’ve had to solve world peace right there in the classroom.”
Much like a one-room schoolhouse, everyone is brought together for lessons. Regardless of the participant's native language or knowledge level, everyone is learning English.
“Our teachers only speak English because we want to immerse them,” Cowan said.
Before COVID, the program was in-person and based at BVSD’s Title I Schools. Just like schools, the Family Literacy Program had to pivot quickly when learning went remote – and they’ve continued online classes for the time being. In many cases, the parents, grandparents or other family members are using their students’ chromebooks to connect.
While that means overcoming another challenge – technology – it has allowed folks from across the district to more easily participate.
If you or a BVSD family member you know could benefit from English as a second language lessons or support getting their GED, CLICK HERE for more information or contact Cowan at alice.cowan@bvsd.org or 720-561-5826.
This press release was produced by the Boulder Valley School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.