OPL Oneida ARTS in the News

Oneida ARTS

An Even Start Family Literacy Program

220 Broad Street

Oneida, New York 13421

Phone: (315)363-3050

Fax: (315)363-4217

ONEIDA ARTS IN THE NEWS

Tree helps literacy program grow
By: Penny Stickney, Dispatch Staff Writer
11/08/2004

ONEIDA -- This Christmas employees at the Oneida Public Library will be celebrating around a tree decorated not with ornaments, but with mittens and books. The tree is from Oneida ARTS Even Start Literacy Program.

Oneida ARTS Even Start is a partnership between Madison-Oneida BOCES Early Childhood Programs and the Oneida Public Library. Even Start is a program for Oneida City school residents who want to further their education by getting a high school diploma or a GED.

The program incorporates adult education, child development, parenting and interactive literacy activities for families, said Shari Erwin, coordinator of Oneida ARTS, and Even Start Family Literacy Program. Families with children from birth to age seven who meet the federal income guidelines are eligible to join the program. There is also a family literacy program with parent/child education where educators go into the homes and work with families, Erwin said. These programs are geared toward helping parents further their education which allows them to help teach their children to read. The staff for these programs are provided by the library and Madison-Oneida BOCES.

"All the research shows that children in families at low-literacy, low-income levels are at a serious disadvantage in vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and school performance," said Patty Vacca, assistant director of Madison-Oneida BOCES early childhood programs, in a BOCES press release. "However, when parents display a love of reading and writing to their children, and feel confident in their skills as a parent, it positively affects their children's literacy development."

The program started Sept. 1 in Oneida. A grant from the New York State Department of Education for $300,000 - which will last four years - allowed the start of the program.

As a partner, the Oneida Public Library offers little lapsitters, pre-school story hour and kids connection evening program as encouragement for children to learn read. They also have international month and cultural nights as well as Sunday fundays.

The mitten tree idea came about as another way to encourage families to read, as well as a way to involve the Oneida community in the program.

"It's a unique program that meets the needs of a special population that we'd like to reach," Erwin said. "The community as a whole is interested in the program. There's a commitment in the community to support this program."

"It's a very special way to get the community involved with helping families," said Carolyn Gerakopoulos, director of the Oneida Public Library. "The really unique part is that a lot of families benefit. It's a chance to involve them with the library." The program helps to introduce children to the library at a young age and create a life-long love of libraries, Gerakopoulos said.

The mitten tree sits in the front lobby of the library, where all library patrons can view it. Paper cut-outs for mittens or books hang on the tree.

"People taking off the cut-outs and bring them back with mittens or books," Gerakopoulos said. "Eventually there will be nothing left but mittens or books."

Other mitten trees in the community are located at the Oneida YMCA and at Wal-Mart. The Oneida community has already been very supportive of the tree idea.

"It's only been a week and already we have quite a bit," Gerakopoulos said. "A lot of patrons have picked up a cut-out, they think it's a wonderful idea."

"It's a wonderful program that meets a lot of families needs," Erwin said.