Newswise — The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) today announced grants of $25,000 each to 10 organizations across the nation working to encourage Hispanic and other families to earn college degrees.

The competitive funding expands the reach of the innovative Family Literacy – Community College Partnership Initiative supported by MetLife Foundation. The organizations will use the support to implement plans for outreach to families about going to college, including use of a comprehensive set of interactive, bilingual resources available online.

“We need to ensure that more adults are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and that parents are well prepared to inform and nurture the educational aspirations of their children,” said Sharon Darling, president & founder of NCFL. “Efforts serving two generations are best positioned to assist our nation with the ambitious goals of career readiness and college attainment.”

Winners of the national competition represent a wide range of organizations and community partners working at all levels of education:• Community colleges: Durham Technical Community College, Durham, N.C.; and La Guardia Community College, New York

• Four-year universities: Temple University, Philadelphia; and University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.

• School systems: Boone County Schools, Florence, Ky.; and Southwest Independent School District, San Antonio

• Community literacy organizations: Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc., Washington; and Long Beach Family Literacy Program, Long Beach, Calif.

• Local organizations serving Hispanics: Sociedad Latina, Roxbury, Mass.; and Adelante Mujeres, Forest Grove, Ore.

To learn more about each program, visit http://www.famlit.org/collegereadinessgrantees.

The community partners have planned innovative and practical uses of the initiative’s online resources En Camino: Herramientas educativas para familias/On Our Way: Educational Toolkit for Families, which are available in Spanish and English. These interactive tools provide educational and life-skill activities for families to help them realize their dreams of postsecondary education for children and parents. They are available for free at www.famlit.org/myfamilygoestocollege.

"We are pleased to support the National Center for Family Literacy and its leadership in building community partnerships that help families aspire to and achieve a college education,” said Dennis White, MetLife Foundation president and CEO. “The new grants in the Family Literacy – Community College Partnership Initiative support important examples of how community organizations, school districts, community colleges and four-year universities can work collaboratively to increase educational attainment.” About NCFL:The National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989, is the worldwide leader in family literacy. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, visit www.famlit.org.

About MetLife Foundation:MetLife Foundation is committed to building a secure future for individuals and communities worldwide, through a focus on empowering older adults, preparing young people and building livable communities. In education, it seeks to strengthen public schools through effective teaching and collaborative leadership, and to prepare students for access to and success in higher education, particularly during the crucial first year. The Foundation’s grantmaking is informed by findings from the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. More information is available at www.metlife.org.