The Family Literacy and Lifeskills Program of the African Women’s Coalition serves African refugee women and children ages 3-10.

Many of the women in the Family Literacy ESL program are widows. Some are single mothers who have been separated from their husbands due to war and other difficult circumstances in their countries of origin. These women must learn to be heads-of-household for the first time in a new country, learn to raise their children in that country, and master a new language.

Volunteers in this program work with the women to teach them lifeskills, English, and to help prepare their children for school through participating in story-time activities.

Volunteers typically work with their families 3 hours a week. They may tutor a mother one-on-one or work with the mother and the child(ren) depending on the needs of the family.

Volunteers receive inter-cultural competency training and training in basic ESL techniques. They also participate in monthly volunteer gatherings to receive further training, and share resources and best practices.

The HIPPY program is run in partnership with Portland Public Schools. It is designed to serve families with young children ages three to five years old. Parents of pre-school age children are trained by a home visitor to use a rich curriculum to teach their child numerous skills and concepts that they will need in Kindergarten.

In order to be able to participate in this program the mothers of the children need to have a basic third grade reading level in English.