Toyota and National Center for Family Literacy Launch $10 Million Initiative
New initiative kicks off by accepting grant applications from local organizations to further family learning beyond the classroom and into homes and communities
May 17, 2013 9:05 AM ET
Louisville, Ky., May 17, 2013 /3BL Media/ – Toyota and the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) are launching Toyota Family Learning, a six-year initiative that will create a new model for literacy by expanding it beyond the walls of the classroom and into homes and communities. This new initiative will engage families in learning together both online and offline, incorporating digital elements launching later this year, including a website, mobile app, social media and more. Today, the first phase of Toyota Family Learning goes live: a grant program for communities to fund new family mentor and service learning programs targeting vulnerable families.
Five organizations will be awarded a three-year, $175,000 grant, in addition to a wide range of NCFL training and communication support, learning items and materials. Fifteen grants will be awarded over the course of the six-year initiative. Schools, libraries and community-based organizations that provide services to families are eligible to apply. Submissions are being accepted now through June 24 at www.toyotafamilylearning.org. Submissions will be evaluated on a number of factors, including strength of existing services, commitment from community partners, and strength and innovation of proposal. Grant recipients will be notified in July.
“The vision for Toyota Family Learning is to become a modern-day movement for families learning together and this grant program launch is the first of many steps we’ll be taking in the coming months and years to make that vision a reality,” said Sharon Darling, president and founder, NCFL. “The components of this initiative are all rooted in increasing Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time® that is so critical to improving family literacy.”
“For over 20 years, we’ve been proud and humbled by our partnership with NCFL, which has helped more than one million families learn and grow together,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation at Toyota Motor North America. “We’re excited to build on this with the new Toyota Family Learning initiative and look forward to seeing how local community organizations will help expand our work beyond the classroom and into homes and communities.”
This new initiative is the latest in Toyota’s long-standing support of NCFL’s mission to advance family learning and literacy. Since 1991, Toyota has been a strategic partner to NCFL, providing more than $36 million to fund 256 literacy programs nationwide and impacting more than 1 million families. Program highlights include:
• Toyota Family Literacy Program: brings parents and children from immigrant families together in a classroom to learn and engage with culturally relevant programming.
• Toyota Teacher of the Year award: annually recognizes individual educators for their efforts to improve literacy among learners of all ages. The winner receives a $20,000 grant to implement his or her classroom project.
• Toyota Families in Schools: establishes learning services in schools and engages parents and at-risk students aged 5 to 12 years old by providing academic and home-life support. Media Contacts:
About NCFL
The National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989 and based in Louisville, Ky., 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. Visit http://www.famlit.org/ for more information.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs over 31,000 in the United States and its investment here is currently valued at more than $19.5 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.
Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed nearly $700 million to philanthropic programs in the United States.
For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.
Five organizations will be awarded a three-year, $175,000 grant, in addition to a wide range of NCFL training and communication support, learning items and materials. Fifteen grants will be awarded over the course of the six-year initiative. Schools, libraries and community-based organizations that provide services to families are eligible to apply. Submissions are being accepted now through June 24 at www.toyotafamilylearning.org. Submissions will be evaluated on a number of factors, including strength of existing services, commitment from community partners, and strength and innovation of proposal. Grant recipients will be notified in July.
“The vision for Toyota Family Learning is to become a modern-day movement for families learning together and this grant program launch is the first of many steps we’ll be taking in the coming months and years to make that vision a reality,” said Sharon Darling, president and founder, NCFL. “The components of this initiative are all rooted in increasing Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time® that is so critical to improving family literacy.”
“For over 20 years, we’ve been proud and humbled by our partnership with NCFL, which has helped more than one million families learn and grow together,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation at Toyota Motor North America. “We’re excited to build on this with the new Toyota Family Learning initiative and look forward to seeing how local community organizations will help expand our work beyond the classroom and into homes and communities.”
This new initiative is the latest in Toyota’s long-standing support of NCFL’s mission to advance family learning and literacy. Since 1991, Toyota has been a strategic partner to NCFL, providing more than $36 million to fund 256 literacy programs nationwide and impacting more than 1 million families. Program highlights include:
• Toyota Family Literacy Program: brings parents and children from immigrant families together in a classroom to learn and engage with culturally relevant programming.
• Toyota Teacher of the Year award: annually recognizes individual educators for their efforts to improve literacy among learners of all ages. The winner receives a $20,000 grant to implement his or her classroom project.
• Toyota Families in Schools: establishes learning services in schools and engages parents and at-risk students aged 5 to 12 years old by providing academic and home-life support. Media Contacts:
| Luisa Montes SHIFT Communications for NCFL lmontes@shiftcomm.com (415) 591-8464 Luis Rosero Toyota Luis_Rosero@toyota.com (212) 715-7493 |
The National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989 and based in Louisville, Ky., 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. Visit http://www.famlit.org/ for more information.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs over 31,000 in the United States and its investment here is currently valued at more than $19.5 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.
Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed nearly $700 million to philanthropic programs in the United States.
For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/philanthropy.
