Press Releases

Connery School and Operation Bootstrap receive Family Literacy Grant!

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has awarded a $65,000 grant to Connery Elementary School and Operation Bootstrap in Lynn to fund the development of Connery Families Learn Together. The program will start in September of 2008 and will provide education and literacy support for families at the Connery School. The project will offer English classes for parents held at the Connery School while their children attend school; literacy activities for parents and children together after school, parenting topics, home visits, and a summer program for parents and children in July 2009.

Operation Bootstrap and Connery School are one of ten grant recipients from nearly 400 applicants. Since its inception in 1989, the Foundation has awarded over $30 million to more than 700 family literacy programs in 49 different states and our nation’s capital.

“Reading aloud to children, early and often, is the single most important thing that a parent can do to help a child start school ready to learn,” said Barbara Bush. “And, parents who are able to read, write, and comprehend can get better jobs, improve their families’ lives, and participate more fully in their communities as well. That’s why the projects we fund must provide literacy instruction for parents as well as their children.”

Quotes

Patricia Riley, Principal – Connery Elementary School

“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Operation Bootstrap and our Connery parents.  It is especially exciting that we will be able to provide the English classes during the school day right at our school.  We are forming a real partnership with Connery teachers, parents and Operation Bootstrap teachers.  Every week we will work closely together to help students become successful.”

Don Phillip Edwards, Executive Director – Operation Bootstrap, Inc.

“This grant provides an opportunity to expand the existing literacy and education activities at Connery to include two additional ESOL classes for the parents, interactive literacy and additional home visits. The program will afford each immigrant parent the opportunity to have more interaction with Connery Elementary School and allows more parents to be able to help their children with their homework. We are thankful to the Barbara Bush Foundation for helping us address community needs.”

This year’s grant recipients were announced at the Foundation’s fourteenth annual fundraiser, A Celebration of Reading, held at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston on April 24 th. The evening was hosted by George and Barbara Bush and star authors: Jill Conner Browne, Amy Grant, Immaculee Ilibagiza, Jim Nantz, as well as other surprise guests.

Contact: Don Edwards, Director, Operation Bootstrap, 781−599−8543 June 12, 2008