Programs

Family Learning Centers -
A Valuable Resource for Long Beach's Families!!

Addressing Important Community Needs:Addressing Important Community Needs:

Access to Computers:
Technology Counts 2008, a recent study completed by the Education Resource Centerand published inn Education Week, surveyed states to assess the status of K-12 educational technology across the nation in the areas of access, use and capacity.  The report assigned grades to the states for their technology access and performance in these categories.  California received an "F"!

One on One Bilingual Homework Help:
Over ten years ago, the Long Beach Public Library discovered a real need to increase support for children working on homework at the library.  Youth Service librarians were inundated with questions from children who didn't understand their assignments, were struggling with completing their homework, had English language barriers or were looking for specialized help.  While the librarians could offer guidance finding library resources, they didn't have the staff to fulfill the special one-on-one attention the children really needed. 

Helping the Whole Family Close to Home:
In a city of over 400,000 people, many low income families use public transportation to travel long distances to work and school.  Many children take the bus home and cannot take advantage of the after school resources offered by the school district.  Instead they visit their local library.  The entire family can visit the Family Learning Center together and receive specialized assistance.  A father can work on a resume, a mother can practice English, a daughter can get help with her homework, and a pre-school son can learn to read using special interactive software.

An Award Winning Model:

Since the first center opened, the twelve Long Beach Family Learning Centers have supported over 404,000 requests for assistance.  The Centers are designed to address the full range of education, information and learning needs of at-risk children and families.  The Homework Helpers are often college-age students who love what they do and many are training to become teachers.  They help  provide families with quality bilingual homework assistance, English literacy skills, encouragement from positive role models, access to computers and educational software and supervised Internet assistance.