The barnes foundation in philadelphia will facilitate a museum-community partnership program supporting a vulnerable population of emergent english language learners ages 3-5 and their families from…

The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will receive $125,209 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the National Leadership Grants program to facilitate a museum-community partnership supporting emergent English language learners ages 3-5 and their Latinx immigrant families from South Philadelphia. Working with community partner Puentes de Salud and the School District of Philadelphia's Southwark Community School, early learners will engage with art at the Barnes through weekly online classes led by bilingual teaching artists, monthly deliveries of books and art supply kits, bi-monthly recorded story times, and routine family support calls. This funding will aid in developing biliteracy skills and kindergarten readiness for vulnerable populations disrupted by COVID-19, while advancing practices for strengthening museum and library services to the public as intended under the NLG program.

The barnes foundation in philadelphia will facilitate a museum-community partnership program supporting a vulnerable population of emergent english language learners ages 3-5 and their families from south philadelphia's latinx immigrant community. This program is especially critical due to disruptions in early childhood programs during the covid-19 pandemic. In collaboration with community partner puentes DE salud and the school district of philadelphia's southwark community school, early learners will connect with art at the barnes as a launching point for gaining biliteracy skills and developmental readiness for kindergarten. This engagement will include weekly online classes led by bilingual teaching artists, monthly home delivery of books and art supply kits for teaching units, BI-monthly recorded story times, and routine family calls to support at-home literacy strategies.