Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Photo caption: During Project Raíces' Language and Literacy Academias, children participate in game-based bilingual literacy activities while parents receive information on how to connect with community resources.
Project Raíces strengthens East Texas communities through cultural exchange and educational success for all
Story by Parastoo Nikravesh '18 & '23
Photos by Lizeth Garcia
At the end of the school day, children may bring home exciting stories of what they learned, toys and treats shared from friends or, not to be overlooked, folders full of important documents for parents, like field trip permission slips and Parent Teacher Organization sign-up sheets.
For some students, this is as easy as handing the folder to mom and dad. For parents whose first language is not English, however, the text on the page can present a frustrating barrier.
This is the reality for many East Texas families with English language learners, which is why local educators and students in SFA's educator preparation program are making a difference through Project Raíces. The project completed its first year providing bilingual resources and support to East Texas parents in May.
The grant-funded program facilitated through SFA's James I. Perkins College of Education is an initiative to enhance bilingual and multilingual education for school districts in Nacogdoches and Angelina counties. Its goals are to improve instruction for English learners; increase the number of East Texas teachers certified to teach English as a second language, or ESL; and engage parents and caregivers through workshops that focus on school readiness, emergent literacy and language acquisition.
Reaching All Individuals and Communities to Establish Success in Language Learning, referred to in short as Project Raíces, was made possible through a National Professional Development Grant of $2.5 million funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
Setting Important Goals
The 2023-24 academic year marked Project Raíces' first cohort, and with funding for three more academic years, Project Raíces is expected to prepare 50 public school educators each school year to support English language learners. In an increasingly interconnected world, Project Raíces aims to work toward a future where embracing cultural richness empowers not just students but entire communities.
"I am so grateful that I got to experience Project Raíces," said Kayleigh Moran '23, who received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and currently works for Broaddus Independent School District. "I had been in a school setting as a paraprofessional for a year and could see the disconnect between ESL and a lot of the curriculum. Being a part of the project helped me open my eyes and understand how I can better help my students."
The five-year grant began with a planning year in 2022. In the 2023-24 academic year, Project Raíces provided ESL professional development, community engagement activities and children's literacy training. Leading the initiative are Carrie Wright-Davis, project director, and Darius Tubbs, project associate director. Wright-Davis graduated with her Master of Arts in teaching in 2022. Tubbs graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2013 and is currently working on a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction.
"I am so excited to make the vision of this grant team a reality," Wright-Davis said. "Seeing teachers, parents and SFA students working together as a community with the shared goal of improving literacy has been such an inspiration."
Project Raíces' first cohort
This year, Project Raíces hosted four Language and Literacy Academias, which are workshops that provide interactive instruction for teachers and teacher candidates on ESL testing and strategies while parents receive information on how to connect with community resources and help children in school.
Additionally, visiting educators Dr. Burcu Ates and Dr. Mary Petrón, professors of education at Sam Houston State University, facilitated the project's ESL exam instruction, which helps educators prepare to become certified ESL instructors.
"Every time we had an academia, I would go back to my ESL teacher and tell her all of the things I learned that day," Moran said. "As I was getting ready to take the ESL certification test, I realized a lot of my co-workers, who were taking it as veteran teachers, did not really have an idea what they needed to study. They felt unprepared, but I was the complete opposite. I felt that I knew my content and had the tools to help me study."
During the academias, children in participating families enjoyed a kermés, or carnival, that included language and literacy activities as well as artists who presented cultural performances. Project Raíces coordinators also hosted Yuyi Morales, Mexican-American children's author of "Niño Wrestles the World" and "Dreamers," for an event.
Several departments in SFA's Perkins College of Education pitched in expertise and insights to make Project Raíces' first active year a success. Students of Dr. Deborah Buswell, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, helped develop outdoor games for participants at the academias, while hospitality students of Dr. Gina Fe Causin, associate professor in the School of Human Sciences, staffed the events as part of an ongoing service-learning project.
"I was part of the convention and meeting planning class with Dr. Causin and worked at the registration table, signing in parents and their children before leading them to where they needed to go," said Belle Carrera, a first-year SFA hospitality administration major from New Braunfels, Texas. "I definitely learned how to better communicate with not only my peers but with guests as well. Initiating conversation has always been a problem for me, and working with Project Raíces has helped me with my communication skills."
What Comes Next
The Project Raíces grant is the third of its kind for the Perkins College of Education, which was awarded $1.4 million in 2007 and $1.9 million in 2011. The grants were centered around English as a second language certification and English language learner education.
The application for the grant — one of 44 awarded nationally — was authored by SFA Department of Education Studies faculty members Drs. Heather Olson Beal and Lauren Burrow, professors; Dr. Chrissy Cross, associate professor; and Dr. Yuan He, assistant professor; as well as Dr. Marisol Diaz, faculty member at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
"We are always looking at new opportunities to involve the SFA student community in active learning," Wright-Davis said.
For each of the remaining three academic years of the grant, Project Raíces will recruit 25 in-service teachers from Nacogdoches and Lufkin independent school districts, 25 pre-service teachers in SFA's educator preparation program, eight SFA faculty members and 25 families of emergent bilingual students in East Texas to participate in the program.
Additionally, participants receive $500 stipends for taking the ESL certification exam and providing Project Raíces with their scores. After attending the four Language and Literacy Academias, in-service teachers receive $1,000 and pre-service teachers receive $500. Classroom teachers also receive a $1,000 implementation grant after they pass the test to implement ESL instructional practices learned through the Language and Literacy Academias. In total, SFA seniors earn $1,500, and current teachers earn $2,500.
"In five years, we are hoping to see an improvement in academic achievement from English language learners," Cross said in a previous article about the initiative. "We are also hoping to build a community so that when people move here, those who have English language learners with them will be able to fit right in and understand what's available to help them succeed. This will result in higher graduation rates, better jobs and a boost for the economy."
The grant addresses an important need in Nacogdoches and Angelina counties. According to Cross, 20% of students in the Nacogdoches Independent School District are English language learners. In the Lufkin Independent School District, that figure is 26%.
"Project Raíces brings educators and the community together," Moran said. "We get to see each other's points of views and opinions. We get to work through language barriers and overcome obstacles that can even be seen in the classroom. It's a safe space to explore and share. It is something every teacher can benefit from."
Pictured during one of their workshops are members of the Project Raíces team, from left, Dr. Marisol Diaz, faculty member from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Dr. Lauren Burrow, SFA professor; Dr. Chrissy Cross, SFA associate professor; Carrie Wright-Davis, Project Raíces program director; Dr. Heather Olson Beal, SFA professor; and Darius Tubbs, Project Raíces associate program director.