Document text
Head Start program gets boost from Wells Fargo A local social service agency will train low-income bilingual residents to become early childhood workers after receiving a grant from Wells Fargo. The $10,000 grant will enable Southern Oregon Head Start and the Jackson Education Service District's Migrant Education Program to train staff and parents who participate in Head Start's Listo program. Listo, which means "bright and ready," provides pre-math instruction, social interaction, problem-solving skills and promotes self-esteem. The children's parents attend a weekly support group to learn about parenting, health, computers and literacy. Residents of Medford, Central Point, White City and Phoenix and Talent are involved. Project Listo services work to keep Spanish-speaking children in school by promoting parents as teachers, said Becky Barker, program coordinator. Hispanic students are twice as likely to drop out of school than their peers, according to a Portland State University study. Jackson County has about 9,400 Hispanic residents, and about 2,000 of those are students, according to the same 1996 study. Program administrators plan to start putting the money to use with training for adults starting in July. The training will prepare parents and staff members for entry-level employment and provide workplace learning opportunities, said Becky Barker, project coordinator. Last year, 175 residents participated in Project Listo. Barker hopes to increase the number this year as the training will help meet the growing demand for qualified, bilingual child-care services staff in the Rogue Valley. For information about programs, call Southern Oregon Child and Family Council, 734-5150. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA