Laamistad Inc

Adult Education: LaAmistad continues to offer ESL (English for Successful Living) as a core focus of its service to Latino adults. 223 students completed varying levels of English classes with an average final exam grade of 90.4%. In addition to ESL, 12 classes and workshops were delivered in Spanish on digital literacy (150 laptops were given away), financial literacy, insurance and other topics to empower and inform the community. Two major community resource events were also held at the LaAmistad Community Center resulting in 1,063 total adults served in FY 24.

Animate: LaAmistad's Summer Academy served 86 students over five days per week during the month of June to bolster learning and stem the summer slide that greatly affects English language learners. Students demonstrated 70% growth in math and 13% in reading over four weeks based on assessments administered at the beginning and end of camp. While fewer students were served this year due to renovation closures, impressive gains were made as LaAmistad invested in two teachers per classroom during summer 24. Attendance was 93% and 51 interns, counselors and additional staff supported academic and recreational activities that included cultural projects (dance, art), sports (tennis, swimming, soccer), and emotional learning activities every day of programming at our host location, Pace Academy.

Other programs include Birth to Five and Alumni.Birth to Five: LaAmistad's newest initiative served 28 children and 31 parents/caregivers through a curriculum adapted to be responsive (culturally and linguistically) in partnership with clinicians and researchers from the Marcus Autism Center, Emory University, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The evidence-based strategies and interventions were delivered by a bilingual speech-language pathologist and focused on fostering early literacy and communication skills, ensuring bilingual children start school ready to succeed. The innovative program focuses on 1) Motivation & Empowerment: Helping caregivers understand their role in fostering literacy in both Spanish and English; 2) Education & Tools: Equipping parents with strategies to support early language development; 3 )Practical Application: Modeling how caregivers can integrate literacy activities into daily routines; 4) Community Building: Connecting caregivers with others raising children of similar ages; and 5) Highlighting the importance of early screening for potential language/communication delays.Alumni: To track long-term program outcomes and extend its impact on Latino youth, LaAmistad launched an Alumni program for middle and high school students focused on academic support, personal and professional development, and college and career readiness. Highlights included campus tours at Oglethorpe University, Georgia State University and Emory University, a summer ACT prep course, financial literacy workshops, and partnerships with Comcast (career exploration), Big Brothers Big Sisters (mentorship), and 21st Century Leaders (academic acceleration). 114 of 242 active alumni were served through both educational and enrichment opportunities that exposed students to the arts (Fox Theatre), sporting events (Braves and Hawks games), and social gatherings (ice-skating and game nights). Parents were surveyed to determine the areas of greatest need and offerings tailored to stakeholder feedback.