DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The PNC Foundation, Skillman Foundation and Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation today announced a $1.5 million, two-year collaboration to build preschool children’s vocabularies in two Detroit neighborhoods. Say & Play with Words (Hablen y Jueguen con Palabras) will infuse vocabulary and literacy strategies and family service learning into a powerful educational model for families in the Southwest Detroit and Brightmoor neighborhoods.
Research shows that by age 3, children from low-income families are hearing 30 million fewer words than those from higher-income families. Research shows that vocabulary skills advance children’s cognitive and social learning and a lag in vocabulary development puts children at an academic disadvantage before they start kindergarten. Studies also have indicated vocabulary skills are important in predicting reading development over time.
“Words unlock success for children,” said Ric DeVore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. “The more words they hear before kindergarten, the more success they often achieve. The link between ‘words’ and learning motivated PNC to begin emphasizing developing children’s vocabularies as part of PNC Grow Up Great, our early childhood education initiative.”
Detroit is one of 10 cities PNC has selected for its $10 million pilot program to raise awareness and improve vocabulary for low- and moderate-income children.
The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL), a highly respected national family literacy organization, is leading the project programming with community partners and providing their expertise in literacy and family service learning. Southwest Solutions and Development Centers will serve several hundred children and families with programming and support of the overall initiative. Leaders from Congress of Communities and Brightmoor Alliance will advise the collaborative’s efforts to reach as many community members as possible.
“We know talking to our children is one of the most effective ways to help them develop their vocabularies,” said Sharon Darling, president and founder, National Center for Families Learning. “This initiative couples an approach that resonates with young learners—teaching vocabulary in a real-world, active context—with family service learning, a cutting-edge strategy for families learning together.”
Program components will include:
- A family component to engage approximately 150 Southwest Detroit and Brightmoor families in twice-weekly activities that will encourage them to take an active role in building their children’s vocabularies.
- An outreach program that will engage community leaders to maintain word- and print-rich environments in the two communities. Activities will include vocabulary-themed family events in public venues such as parks and libraries and Word of the Week activities in childcare centers, salons, grocery stores, churches, etc.
- A multi-language, multi-media campaign in early spring 2016 designed to raise parents’/caregivers’ awareness of the importance of a vocabulary-rich environment to young children’s development.
“Our goal is to improve the wellbeing of Detroit’s children,” said Tonya Allen, president and CEO, Skillman Foundation. “In Brightmoor and Southwest Detroit, young children should receive every opportunity to grow their natural talents with programs such as this one. Kids matter here.”
Throughout all aspects of Say & Play with Words, Southwest Detroit and Brightmoor parents and community leaders will be engaged in the design and implementation of program elements, including the awareness campaign and community events, to support the efforts of neighborhood residents as they work to transform learning for their children and improve their neighborhoods.
“Words matter,” said Douglas Bitonti Stewart, executive director, Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation. “We know that investing in early literacy positively impacts not only the kids, but their families, their neighborhoods and our region. This is clearly an investment that will both pay long-term economic dividends and begin to close the opportunity gap in Southwest Detroit and Brightmoor communities.”
About the Organizations
PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a $350 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
The Skillman Foundation
Created in 1960, the Skillman Foundation is a private philanthropy committed to improving meaningful graduation rates in the Detroit region, so kids are ready for college, career and life. The Foundation has assets of nearly a half-billion dollars, with an annual grants budget of $17 million. The Foundation works to achieve its goal by investing in community leadership, neighborhoods, safety initiatives, high-quality schools, social innovation and youth development. Visit www.skillman.org.
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
The Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation was formed in 1955 and endowed following the death of Mr. Fisher in 2005. The Foundation’s core philosophy is grounded in the beliefs of its founders and the family's shared Jewish values that life’s purpose is found in service to others.
The mission of the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation is to enrich humanity by strengthening and empowering children and families in need. While remaining flexible in our approach we give priority to: Providing for the needs of and ensuring the future of the Jewish people and to respecting our legacy and commitment to the Detroit community. Areas of critical importance include education, arts & culture and health with particular attention to HIV/AIDS. During the course of the last eight years, the Foundation has placed in motion over $100 million on three continents. For more information, please visit www.mmfisher.org.
National Center for Families Learning
The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating innovative programs and strategies that support families learning together, literacy and family engagement in education. From the classroom to the community to the digital frontier, NCFL collaborates with educators, advocates and policy-makers to help families construct hotspots for learning wherever they go. For more information on NCFL, visit www.familieslearning.org.
Southwest Solutions
For more than 40 years, Southwest Solutions has pursued its mission to help build a stronger and healthier community in southwest Detroit and beyond. The nonprofit organization provides over 50 programs and partnerships in the areas of human development, economic development and resident engagement. These three areas together form a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategic effort that helps more than 25,000 a year. For more information, please visit www.swsol.org.
Development Centers
Development Centers is one of Detroit’s preeminent behavioral healthcare providers. For over 30 years, we have reached out to children and adults with mental health needs, striving to make their lives safer, healthier and happier. Programs and services are designed to nurture children at risk, strengthen families in crisis and empower individuals to achieve their highest potential. Expertise in delivering mental health, early childhood education and employment services allows Development Centers to offer innovative and comprehensive programming to over 11,000 community members each year. For more information, please visit www.develctrs.org.