What is Success By 6?

In 2001, United Way of Southern Cameron County adopted the national Success By 6 Initiative. Success By 6 is an organization of community members and educators who have joined together to serve as a catalyst to promote research based early literacy development for children birth to six years of age in Brownsville, Texas with the overall goal of helping children succeed when they enter school. This directly contributes to Brownsville's quality of life-educational success, competitive workforce and economic strength.

Mission

To ensure that all Brownsville children, birth to 6 years of age, have the necessary early literacy development to be successful in their academic careers.

Goals

1. Build community support for early literacy development.
· ** Brownsville Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Business Leader Education Institute
BCC education reform task force is creating an education reform institute to inform community leaders on education reform concepts through an online curriculum and peer to peer workshops concluding in an implementation stage. A portion of the curriculum will include birth to six year old issues. System reform for birth to six is dependent on reform beyond age 6.
Other partners:
Quality Learning-Houston, Texas www.qualitylearning.net
Brownsville Foundation for Health and Education
· BEDC/BCC Business Leader Event
Brownsville Economic Development (BEDC) and Brownsville Chamber of Commerce (BCC) agreed to sponsor a business leader event inviting Jim Renier, founder of Success By 6,and retired CEO of Honeywell, Sandy Dochen, Texas Business and Education Coalition Coodinating Board Chair, and Karen Johnson, United Way of Texas President to be presenters.
· Children’s Book Drive
Brownsville Leadership Class 2004 sponsored a Children’s New and Used Book Drive for Success By 6. Books will be distributed at the Dia de los Ninos event and Reach out and Read offices.
· Children’s Book Clearinghouse
Moody Clinic has agreed to become the Brownsville Children’s Book Clearinghouse to collect, store, sort, and distribute children’s books in partnership with volunteer efforts. The Clinic will also participate in training volunteers to teach how to read to children.

Medical Community
* Prenatal and Newborn Parent Early Literacy Program
New parent awareness program at Valley Regional Medical Center and Brownsville Medical Center and prenatal settings focus on informing parents the importance of early brain development and reading to their children.
* Reach out and Read (ROR)
Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a program that promotes early literacyby bringing new books and advice about the importance of reading to children into the pediatric exam room.
www.reachoutandread.org

· Public Awareness Campaign and Dia de los Ninos-National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI)
The National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI) is the only national Latino organization that focuses exclusively on children. Incorporated in 1997 in Texas, NLCI has its headquarters in San Antonio and is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(C)3 tax-exempt organization. NLCI’s mission is to serve as the voice for young Latinos. NLCI staff fulfills the mission by promoting and implementing the National Latino Children’s Agenda.

El Dia de los Ninos, Celebrating Young Americans is a gift from the Latino community to all children. It underscores the tremendous value children have in the community’s life. Over 130 cities create parades, book festivals, health fairs, and other special events to promote the well-being of children. Mayors and other leaders join in the celebration by passing resolutions and making public commitments to children. Participation in the NCLI design of the early literacy initiative-El Pueblo Cuenta will include media resources for Brownsville, Texas. www.nlci.org
Other partners- various civic, faith-based and corporate partners in the community.

2. Promote scientific research based early literacy instruction and progress measurement within the 0-6 years of age private/public education systems.
· * TEEM (Texas Early Education Model) Project
Brownsville is one of 11 sties in Texas chosen to participate in a UT Health and Science Center-Houston (CIRCLE) project that will focus on assisting communities to integrate services to ensure high teacher quality by participating in an online professional development program, palm pilot assessment of children and classroom mentoring. Participants in the Texas Early Education Model-TEEM project will also use research-based curriculum approaches in pre-school classrooms, further enhancing enrolled children’s development of school readiness skills. This project was created out of Texas Senate Bill 76. In Brownsville, 20 private day care centers, Head Start Centers and BISD preschools are participating in TEEM.
http://ped1.med.uth.tmc.edu/circle/index.htm
Partners: BISD, Southwest Key, Cameron Works, Inc, NINOS
Value: $500,000 for a two year period
· Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition
For the first time ever foundations, businesses, providers, universities, advocates, community groups and organizations are coming together to build a statewide network on early care and education and identify common issues that will provide a vision and plan for early childhood in Texas. The mission of the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition is to build a system of quality early care and education that prepares children in Texas for success in their education and life. Success By 6 is participating in this coalition and focusing on language of instruction and definition of “research based”.
www.tecec.org

3. Ensure that Brownsville parents have the necessary tools and knowledge to enhance their children’s early literacy development.
· Family Early Literacy Initiatives-National Latino Children’s Institute
The purpose of Words for the Future is to provide Latino families with vital information concerning brain development in the first three years of life. Words for the Future uses the strengths of the Latino culture and innovative outreach strategies. Words for the Future—Creando el Futuro was developed to provide Latino families with strategies and skills to help their young children learn. As the child’s first teachers, parents have the unique opportunity to shape their child’s future by providing him with meaningful interactions. The underlying premise of Words for the Future is that during every moment a child is learning. Parents who talk, sing, read, explain and explore with their children, even during their first days of life, are giving their children a gift that will last a lifetime.

Salsa, Sabor & Salud (Healthy Lifestyles)- Consisting of an 8-session course focused on nutrition and exercise. Each session is grounded in a cultural theme that integrates traditional foods and activities into a healthy lifestyle for the whole family. Healthy Lifestyle encourages a life-long learning approach. Additionally, the course incorporates the reading of recipes and food labels as a literacy component.

· Families and Work Institute-Sparking Connections
Brownsville is one of 6 learning community sites in the United States that will be part of the Families and Work Institute Sparking Connections , a project that will identify and demonstrate community- based strategies to help family, friend and neighbor caregivers meet the needs of working parents, their children and employers. www.familiesandworki.org
Partners: UT/TSC Center for Civic Engagement
National Latino Children’s Institute

· University of Texas/Texas Southmost College-Center for Civic
Engagement www.civicengagement.com
Family Read Aloud Meriendas-University of Texas/TSC School of Education students will conduct meriendas as workshops to inform parents how to share books with their children and the important role they can play in their children’s early literacy development. Parents will be given books and other tools.

Shop & Learn- pilot initiative where grocery shopping will be seen as a great opportunity for children and families to engage in healthy buying habits and learning activities. Families will be given useful tools and information they can use before, during and after shopping to add learning and informed decision making to their shopping experience.
Partners: National Latino Children’s Institute
Families & Work Institute
Infant and Family Nutrition Agency

** Sustainability and greatest system reform for Success By 6
* Greatest Impact for Child Outcomes

For more information, please call Norma Garza, Success By 6 Coordinator,
(956) 793-8668, (956) 542-8881(Fax), e-mail: normagarza@aol.com or contact@successby6brownsville.org

 

 

Community 

Community Leader Event-
June 15, 2004