Bornlearning^® Academy: A School-Based Program for Strengthening Families with Children under Age Five

Abstract

This chapter describes the Bornlearning ^® Academy (BLA), a school-based family engagement program predicated on the notion that families come to the table with knowledge and skills and can support children’s learning by building on what they are already doing. It takes place in a school building within the families’ school district, and it is a six-workshop series that utilizes materials available for free at bornlearning.org, a United Way Worldwide public engagement campaign. The goal of the BLA is to increase parents’/caregivers’ understanding of their role in the education process of their children and to facilitate familiarization and establishment of positive experiences with the school personnel and the school district for the children and their families. Survey data demonstrated that parents/caregivers from a range of backgrounds enjoyed and learned from various BLA workshops. Gains on content questions indicated the BLA attendees learned, and responses indicated that attendees both intended to use what they learned at the workshops in their own interactions with their children and actually followed through on those intentions.

Citation

Gilbert, J.L., Harte, H.A. and Kinne, L.J. (2016), "Bornlearning^® Academy: A School-Based Program for Strengthening Families with Children under Age Five", Family Involvement in Early Education and Child Care (Advances in Early Education and Day Care, Vol. 20), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 23-49. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0270-402120160000020002