Downingtown, PA (November 17, 2006) — The Chester County Intermediate Unit Migrant Education Program announced a partnership with Target for its Migrant Education Literacy Project. This project is a parent-training program that engages parents and their children in the process of becoming literate members of society. Families will participate in weekly parent/child programs that emphasize school readiness skills, immersion in a variety of literacy materials, and English-as-a-Second-Language development and also receive home libraries that include books, puzzles, flashcards, journals, and other literacy materials.
“The Chester County Intermediate Unit Migrant Education Program recognizes the need for integration of both parents and children into the American educational school system and community to assist them to become contributing members of society,” said Nicole Bartels Prum, Supervisor of Migrant Education Programs, Chester County Intermediate Unit. “Our families have limited access to literacy materials and do not typically have the educational background to easily promote language and literacy development needed to promote this integration. The Literacy Project will improve access to materials, support, and integration.”
This sponsorship is part of the ongoing support Target provides to local communities throughout the country. Every week Target gives more than $2 million to strengthen families and communities across the nation, with a focus on education, the arts, social services and other vital community partnerships.
“At Target, we are making a real difference every day through our sponsorship program,” said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. “We’re proud to partner with Chester County Intermediate Unit Migrant Education Program as part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the communities where our guests and team members live and work.”
Additionally, Target also gives back through signature programs that are designed to inspire learning in children and families. Programs include:
- Take Charge of Education®, a school fundraising program;
- Ready. Sit. Read!, a program dedicated to fostering a life-long love of reading in children;
- Start Something®, a partnership between Target and the Tiger Woods Foundation, which helps kids build core values;
- Target House, which serves as a home-away-from-home for families of children receiving life-saving treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis; and
- Target Volunteers, team members and retirees who annually donate more than 315,000 hours of time to more than 7,000 community-based projects
About Chester County Intermediate Unit Migrant Education Program
The Chester County Intermediate Unit Migrant Education Program is a Pennsylvania Department of Education Title 1 program that provides supplemental education to children of migratory farm workers. This program was developed due to the frequent mobility of migrant farm workers to accommodate harvest demands and therefore their children were falling behind their non-migrant peers developmentally, socially, and academically. The goal of the Migrant Education Program is to help migrant children receive the educational services necessary to develop to their fullest potential so that they become productive and participating members of our society. The program currently serves approximately 1,800 migrant children 3 years to 21 years old in Chester, Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, and Delaware counties with supplemental educational services in collaboration with local school districts, community, and state agencies.
About Target
Target gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs. Additionally, Target team members and retirees donate more than 315,000 hours to more than 7,000 projects each year.
