News

Link Enlarge

Our #KidsMatter Literacy Luncheon To Raise Funds For New Programming

Randy October 11, 2017 News 0

Want to help us accomplish much more in our community?

If so, attend our inaugural #KidsMatter Literacy Luncheon and Silent Auction on Thursday, Nov. 30 at the Benvenuto Restaurant at 1730 North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach.

Proceeds from our event will be used to better serve our community and to offer more youth programs, such as afterschool and summer camp for middle school students. The funds will also go to literacy programs for our children and youth.

Our event’s main speaker will be award-winning youth middle grade novelist Donna Gephart, the author of Lily and Dunkin, Death by Toilet Paper, How to Survive Middle School and other books. She is a popular speaker at schools, conferences, and book festivals, and lives in South Florida with her family.

Also speaking at our #KidsMatter Literacy Luncheon will be Chief Deputy Michael Gauger of Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and Houston Tate, director of Office of Community Revitalization for Palm Beach County. They will discuss how Lake Worth West Resident Planning Group has made a major difference in the lives of hundreds of people during their times of need.

Tickets are $60.

Get tickets to our event here.

If you are able to donate an item (gift cards, sport items, etc.) for our silent auction, that will be a significant added source of revenue for our organization and the programs we offer. Please call us at 561-649-9600 to learn more.

Your support of our event is vital to the success of our organization that assists low-income families in the Lake Worth West community by offering programs, activities, and resources for children, teens, and adults.

We hope you can join us on Nov. 30 at Benvenuto Restaurant!

Link Enlarge

Our Center Nominated For Nonprofit of the Year

Randy August 29, 2017 News 0

Great news: we have been nominated for Nonprofit of the Year in the Hats Off Nonprofit Awards event on October 3 in West Palm Beach presented by Nonprofits First.

Lake Worth West Resident Planning Group, Inc., which operates our Lake Worth West Community Center, is among the 15 agencies nominated in the event’s Nonprofit of the Year (Operating budget $500,001-$2.49 million) category.

This is a big deal for us.

The recognition is an indication of the good work we are doing to help our families adapt and prosper in Palm Beach County.

In recent years, our center has expanded educational programming and events to assist hundreds of parents in raising their children through our BRIDGES at Lake Worth West program.

Our literacy initiative also is improving reading skills for young children as part of the Parent-Child Home program with our partner Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. The staff visit homes to promote verbal interaction, parent-child bonding, and school readiness skills for young children.

(In fact, we are hosting our #KidsMatter Literacy Luncheon on Thursday, November 30 at Benvenuto Restaurant in Boynton Beach from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Proceeds for the event will benefit our center’s literacy programs for children and youth. Tickets are $60. Please call us at 561-649-9600 to learn more. Get tickets to our event here.)

In addition, we offer many other programs and events for teens and adults through our center.

For many years, our center was only known locally in the Lake Worth area. Today, we are catching the attention of the greater Palm Beach County community. This nomination is proof of that.

Come cheer us on during the Hats Off Nonprofit Awards event at the Harriet Himmel Theater at CityPlace from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. The event will benefit Nonprofits First’s education and Rising Leaders programs.

Get tickets here.

Link Enlarge

New Staff Member Knows Our Center and Community Very Well

Randy July 11, 2017 News

The Lake Worth West Community Center has a new staff member – she’s no ordinary staff member!

Miranda Aquino-Vallejos joins us as a paid student intern.

She is, in so many ways, perfect for the job because Miranda has spent a good part of her life coming to our center and taking part in our Bridges of Lake Worth West programs, said Rhonda Rogers, executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center.

“I couldn’t think of a better person for this job,” Rogers said. “She’s the epitome of the ideals that our center wants to accomplish in this community.”

Miranda is a 2017 graduate of Lake Worth Senior High School. She has been an active participant of our United Way-funded College Prep program since her freshman year in high school. The Preparing Youth for Tomorrow Program (PYFTP) gave her the support, guidance, and tools she needed to fulfill her dream of going to college. This fall, Miranda will begin her freshman year at Florida Atlantic University where she plans to study business.

As a first-generation college student, Miranda was inspired by the stories she heard of other first generation college students who had overcome obstacles to pursue their dreams. Growing up just half a block away from Lake Worth West Community Center, she adopted our center early on as her second home. Through elementary school, she attended homework assistance programs and has fond memories of the gardening and computer programs she attended during her youth.

Previously shy and quiet, she credits the PYFTP with giving her the opportunity to develop the social skills and confidence she needed to make positive choices in her life. Over the years, she’s given more than a thousand hours of volunteering at Bridges of Lake Worth West.

Now that she’s a staff member of our center, Miranda will continue urging other teens to get involved in community service and to take advantage of opportunities for making college possible.

Miranda added: “I’m excited about my future and thankful for all of the people who donate to the United Way to help students like myself fulfill our dreams.”

To learn more about our Preparing Youth for Tomorrow Program, click here and call us at 561-649-9600.

Link Enlarge

Financial Literacy Workshops Are Starting Thanks to New Grant

Randy June 8, 2017 News

Registration is open for new workshops on financial literacy, thanks to a grant that Lake Worth West Community Center (LLWCC) has received.

The Financial Fitness Workshops start on June 12 from 5-7 pm at our center. To sign up, call us at 561-649-9600.

The $5,000 grant, managed by Florida Literacy Coalition and supported by Wells Fargo, will educate students and parents on managing all aspects of their finances, including online banking.

The workshop will be conducted throughout the summer to help participants better understand their financial, credit and debt management.

LWWCC Executive Director Rhonda Rogers said having financial literacy is necessary to making financially responsible decisions.

“Making thoughtful and informed decisions about our finances is more important than ever –considering the rise in the cost of living and the increased burden on all of us to plan for our retirement years,” she added. “We’re grateful to Florida Literacy Coalition and Wells Fargo for providing us the assistance for these vital workshops.”

Our center is working with our partners — Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Children’s Home Society, Palm Beach County Human Services, United Way of Palm Beach County, and local schools – to recruit participants for the workshops.


Link Enlarge

Our Center Received New Grant to Start Health Literacy Program

Randy May 29, 2017 News 0

Lake Worth West Community Center has received a new grant for the implementation of a health literacy program to benefit our adult education, ESOL, and family literacy students.

The $5,000 grant, awarded by Florida Blue Foundation and the Florida Literacy Coalition, will integrate health and nutrition information into our curriculum. The focus is to help students acquire the knowledge, literacy skills, and resources that will help them navigate the medical system and make informed health decisions.

Rhonda Rogers, the executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center, said: “We’re grateful for this grant because there is a growing recognition among health care providers and adult educators around the country that limited English language and literacy skills can have a significant impact on one’s health.”

In fact, 14% of Americans cannot comprehend basic health information, according to the National Adult Assessment of Literacy. The study indicates that health illiteracy is especially prevalent among:

1) Adults who did not complete high school, with 49% having below basic health literacy; and

2) Foreign born adults who have English as their second language.

Adults with low literacy levels often fail to engage in early detection and preventive health care. They also have significant difficulties navigating the health care system and following their doctors’ treatment plans.

Florida ranks 33rd out of 50 states in the 2011 study “America’s Health Rankings”. The state’s greatest health challenges include a high rate of uninsured population, a low high school graduation rate, and high prevalence of diabetes.

The Florida Health Literacy Initiative provides training, resources, and funding to assist Florida ESOL and family literacy programs to integrate health education into their instruction.  The objective is to help students develop basic literacy and English language skills while gaining information to make informed choices regarding their health and nutrition.

The grant was officially presented during the 33nd Annual Florida Literacy Conference May 10-12 in Captiva, Florida.

Added Greg Smith, executive director of Florida Literacy Coalition: “The support of this initiative reflects Florida Blue’s commitment to helping adult learners, many of whom are new to this country, become informed health advocates for themselves and their families”

Lake Worth West Community Center is one of 15 grant recipients selected for the seventh grant year of this statewide Initiative. Other recipients include: Adult Literacy League; Atlantic Technical College, Arthur Ashe Jr. Campus; Daytona State College; DeSoto County Education Foundation, Inc.; El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center; Flagler County Schools; ABC Literacy Council; Learn to Read of St. Johns County; Literacy Council of Sarasota; Literacy Volunteers of Leon County; Miami Dade College- Hialeah Campus; Parent Academy of St. Lucie County; Sarasota Family YMCA; and United Food Bank of Plant City.

Link Enlarge

New Executive Director Looks Forward To Contributing To Future of Our Center

Randy May 8, 2017 News 0

We welcome our new Executive Director Rhonda Rogers!

She’s a strong advocate for high-quality services for vulnerable populations. Ms. Rogers specializes in developing and overseeing new and innovative programs. Her commitment to families, children, and youth, and to high-quality programs spans a timeframe of more than two decades.

She explains below her vision for our Center – today and for the future.

1) What made you want to become the executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center?

Rhonda Rogers: I wanted to become the new executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center because of all of the great work that the organization provides for the community.  Lake Worth West has a great reputation in the community and you can see the positive impact each and every day.  I had the pleasure of working with the organization as its program officer with the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, so I was aware of the agency’s long-standing quality programs.

2) What are your main goals for the center for the coming years?

Rhonda Rogers: My main goals are to increase the exposure of the organization (through social media and the website), grow our board of directors, and increase our partnerships and funding. I know that these are large goals, but with the great team that I have and the amazing programs, I am sure to get these accomplished.

3) What are you most looking forward to in your new job?

Rhonda Rogers: I am most looking forward to providing direct services to clients.  I have been behind a desk for the last eight years and I love to hear the voices of the children and see the smiles on so many faces.  I am enjoying the daily activities and programs that take place at the center.

I am looking forward to contributing to the future of Lake Worth West and leaving a legacy of quality programs and services for the neighboring community.

Feel free to contact Ms. Rogers any time at rrogers@lakeworthwest.org or 561-649-9600. Or come on by the Center and say hello!

Link Enlarge

Retired Executive Director Most Proud of Transforming Young Lives

Randy April 25, 2017 News

Carol Clinton has retired from Lake Worth West Community Center after 12 years as executive director.

She reflects on how she helped started most of the programs offered by our Center and what she has enjoyed most about her job over the years.

What I’ve loved most is watching the children grow up from toddlers to teenagers and then heading off to college. For many, going off to college was a milestone for their families with them being the first to attend a college. It’s so nice that we as a center played a big role in that and helped these young people make the right decisions about staying in school, graduating, going to college and then starting out in their careers.

I loved it when our “kids” came back to visit. Many of them are so tall now and they have to bend down to give me a hug! They tell us how we helped shape their lives. For me, it’s a deep feeling of pride knowing how we helped transform their lives and make them productive citizens.

One of the ways our center has made so much impact in the community was being part of the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County’s BRIDGES program. As one of 10 BRIDGES sites in the county, Lake Worth West Community Center has been addressing the sentinel outcomes in the program (promoting healthy births, reducing child abuse and neglect, and preparing children for kindergarten) and putting a significant emphasis on early childhood literacy. Since most of our families are immigrants from Central and South America, we created many workshops, seminars and other events to acclimate them to their new community. We offered programming to help parents become better parents and understand how to make their children succeed in school. We also focused on helping our families get to know other families so they could adjust better to their new lives here.

We’ve had many other partners in achieving our objectives. In addition to the Children’s Services Council, we’ve also worked closely with the School District of Palm Beach County to educate parents about the importance of getting their children to read and attend school regularly. These are both critical in keeping children on grade level and making sure they will graduate on time.

In all my jobs, I’ve worked with staffs to help families break the cycle of poverty. The work often involved helping people make the right choices and having options to better their lives.

I’m grateful to have been part of changing many lives over the years.

As I said, nothing has warmed my heart more than seeing our young people grow up to become successful and productive individuals. I’ve always encouraged my staffs to be there for our youth — and it’s paid off.

Link Enlarge

Good School Attendance Leads to Children Doing Well Later in Life

Randy March 14, 2017 Childhood Literacy, Early Learning, News

Millions of children in the United States, including many in Palm Beach County, finish third grade without learning to read proficiently — and that puts them on a dreaded track of dropping out of high school.

The ability to read is critical to a child’s success in school, life-long earning potential, and his or her potential to contributing to our nation’s economy and security.

Many factors are at play for children to succeed at reading proficiency including the obvious: early literacy education, summer learning, family support, and high-quality teaching. Here’s one that’s not as well noted: school attendance.

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about their schoolwork — and themselves. And so, it makes sense that good attendance leads to children doing well later on in high school, college, and at work.

For us at Lake Worth West Community Center, a local committee is meeting to address school absenteeism in our community. Our Strong Starts group of residents, business leaders, school administrators, pre-school operators and other stakeholders are looking for local solutions to improve attendance for all students in the area west of Lake Worth – and, with it, raise reading proficiency levels.

It’s also a subject our staff and facilitators discuss often with our parents attending our BRIDGES at Lake Worth West programs and events.

So why is school attendance important? Research shows that missing 10 percent (or about 18 days) can create difficulties in learning to read, and students can fall behind even if they miss just one or two days every few weeks, according to Attendance Works, a national and state initiative that promotes better policy and practice around school attendance. Other facts show the depth of the problem:

— One in 10 kindergarten and first-grade students nationally are chronically absent, missing nearly a month of school. Further research shows even higher rates among preschoolers.

— Early absences are associated with reading difficulties and poor attendance patterns in later years of life. One study found that only 17 percent of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64 percent of those with good attendance.

— The effects of poor attendance are particularly hard on low-income children, who need more time in the classroom to master reading and are less likely to have access to resources outside of school to help them catch up. Unfortunately, low-income children are four times more likely to be chronically absent.

— Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help some children catch up.

This research makes a clear case that parents have to understand the consequences of chronic absenteeism and, more importantly, do everything in their power to prevent their children from skipping school regularly.

Good attendance habits begin at home with the right messages from parents and caregivers, starting in preschool, so children learn right away that going to school on time is important. Many of our Spanish- and Creole-speaking parents who can’t read or speak English fluently can help their children learn to read simply by getting them to school everyday.

To encourage good attendance, parents can also (according to Attendance Works):

— Set a regular bed time and morning routine.

— Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

— Don’t let your child stay home unless he/she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.

— Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.

— Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

The Lake Worth West Community Center and our partners are working with families to improve school attendance and, at the same time, reading skills. We’re helping families overcome barriers to getting children to class and ensuring that parents know the importance of attendance and the value of a rich and engaging school experience.

Carol Clinton is the executive director of Lake Worth West Community Center.

 Interested in getting involved in our Strong Starts group? Call us at 561-649-9600.

Link Enlarge

Early Childhood Education Is Key To Future Learning

Randy March 14, 2017 Childhood Literacy, Early Learning, News

Reading proficiency by third grade is the most important predictor of high school graduation and career success, studies show. Yet every year, more than 80 percent of low-income children miss this crucial milestone.

Poverty compounds the problem: Students who have lived in poverty are three times more likely to drop out or fail to graduate on time than their more affluent peers.

So what can be done? A good place to start is increasing assess to early childhood literacy education.

From day one, a child’s brain begins forming connections that build the foundation for all learning he or she will do later in life. In fact, 90% of children’s critical brain development occurs by age 5. Children who are read to, sung to, and talked to from a young age develop bigger vocabularies, become better readers, and are more likely to succeed in school.

At Lake Worth West Community Center, programs are offered to develop basic reading skills for children of all ages. They are free and open to the public.

Our center’s child development specialist Veronica Callejas explains the importance of early reading and what services are available to families so their children can grow up to become skillful readers.

1) Why is early childhood literacy so important?

Veronica Callejas: Early childhood literacy is the stepping-stone for children to prepare for reading and writing readiness. Research indicates that children who enter school with strong oral language skills learn to read and write with greater ease and tend to excel more in school than their peer with less knowledge of vocabulary and language structure.

Early childhood literacy develops vocabulary concepts, as children gain information about word meanings and pronunciation. These concepts are first introduced in speaking and understanding other’s speech. It also teaches children the structure of language and the concept that it communicates meaning/information. In turn, children can articulate their words and thoughts clearly.

2) Why is it particularly vital to new immigrants settling in our community?

Veronica Callejas: It is particularly vital for new immigrants to have these programs/workshops available because their children are growing up in households where they are hearing and speaking a non-English language, so that makes it harder for new student immigrants to learn.

Thus, these children have less exposure to English in their earliest years and will be challenged by their language skills upon entering school. Children, as well as their parents, need socio-emotional support. Early childhood education is tied to everything a child will face and accomplish in his or her future years, including social situations and practices.

 3) What kind of early literacy programs/workshops are offered at Lake Worth West Community Center and BRIDGES at Lake Worth West?

Veronica Callejas: We have many early literacy programs at the center, including:

Cradle to Crayons

Raise me up

Exploring our world

Reading club for kids

Storytime by Palm Beach County Library.

There’s also have programs in the homes of children between the ages of 2 and 4. These are offered by Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County and PCHP (Parent Child Home Program).

Visit our activities calendar by clicking here to see the schedules for these and other upcoming programs and events. Or call us at 561-649-9600.

To help support our early literacy programs, please consider a donation to our center. Learn more here.

Link Enlarge

Our Reading Program Prevents The “Summer Slide”

Randy June 1, 2016 News

It’s called the “summer slide” – the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year.

Lake Worth West Community Center is offering summer reading and other educational programs to children and their families so they can continue practicing essential reading skills learned during the school year.

The summer slide is a very real phenomenon. Research shows that most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months, according to National Summer Learning Association. In addition, low-income students lose more than two months in reading achievement.

Surveys of teachers also found that summer learning loss could be reduced, even eliminated, if students participated in a summer learning program.

As a result, Lake Worth West Community Center is providing a summer reading program starting June 13 through August 3.

The eight-week classes for children from first grade to third grade go from 10:30 am to 12 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. The summer reading program for mothers is from 10:30 am to 12 pm on Wednesdays.

These classes provide tips and strategies to support and encourage children to achieve their reading goals. Books and incentives will be given to all participants, too. Also, teachers, librarians and school teen coordinators will discuss topics of interest to children and their parents.

In addition, during the summer months, the center will offer the “Raise Me Up” class which encourages interaction between parents and their children. Instructors will teach parents about communication, fine and gross motor skills, building social skills, and much more. They will also go over site words for children to learn and discuss the importance of regular school attendance.

During this time, parents will be able to do ASQ-3 Screening for their children to identify early development or behavioral problems in children who are 2 months to 5 years old.

So this summer, it’s fine for kids to be carefree and be happy just being kids. But it’s also vital to access educational opportunities.

Call the Lake Worth West Community Center at 561-649-9600 to learn more about our summer reading program.