Community type
Large city; population of 382,618

Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Geographic region
Midwest

Partners
Minneapolis Public Schools Adult Basic Education; Riverside Plaza Tenants’ Association Resource Center; Brian Coyle Community Center; Family Opportunities for Living Collaboration; and Fairview University Medical Center.

Population served
Adult residents of Riverside Plaza, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development facility, who need English literacy, work-readiness training, and family literacy services. Most residents are very low-income immigrants and refugees from East Africa, primarily Somalia, and many cannot read or write in their native language.

Lessons learned

• Wherever possible, partners incorporate the cultural traditions and customs of learners and hire East African staff to help new arrivals adjust to life in the United States.
  
  
• Community residents are involved in the development of programs and services. Residents are regularly consulted through surveys, focus groups, community meetings, and informal discussions.
  
  
• What makes the partnership work: partners coordinate services and resources, as well as fund-raising efforts; partners actively seek new ways to meet the needs of pre-literate English literacy learners; partners put the needs of learners first; partners share the same goals.
  

Partnership highlights

• In 2002-03, 619 adults were enrolled in classes provided by the partnership.
  
  
• Teachers from the Coyle Center and the Riverside Plaza Resource Center worked together to develop a computer-based instructional program adapted from several software programs for their pre-literate learners. Computer instruction is designed to reinforce the English literacy curriculum.
  
  
• Partners bring necessary support services to clients through their own individual partnerships with social service agencies, community- and faith-based organizations, and other organizations.

Resources
Minneapolis Public Schools; U.S. Department of Education Community Technology Center and Even Start grants; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Hennepin County; Wells Fargo Bank; Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning; city funds; private donations; foundation grants; and in-kind contributions, among others.

Supplemental Materials
There are two sample computer lessons available for download–Going Shopping and Computers. Hyperstudio player is required to view these lessons. To download a free copy, go to www.hyperstudio.com.

Contact

Carlye Peterson, Manager
Minneapolis Adult Basic Education
1006 W. Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408-2895
(612) 668-3800
Carlye.Peterson@mpls.k12.mn.us