ASIA awarded PNC Foundation grant to prepare immigrant, refugee children for school

For immediate release
February 2, 2012

Press contact: Deborah Wang (330) 645-5805; dwang@asiaohio.org

ASIA awarded PNC Foundation grant to prepare immigrant, refugee children for school

AKRON – Asian Services In Action (ASIA) is pleased to announce a grant award of $10,000 from the PNC Foundation to support its READY (Readiness through Expanded Acculturation Development of Immigrant/Refugee Youth) Program.

ASIA’s READY Program uses Born to Learn (BTL), a research-based curriculum taught in bilingual/bicultural programs across the country, to help immigrant and refugee parents maximize their children’s developmental and academic success.  Every month, a BTL educator conducts in-home visits and parent/child group meetings to educate parents about typical child development specific to the ages of their children.

This is the first year ASIA has received a grant from the PNC Foundation to support the READY Program.  The Foundation’s generous award will allow ASIA and READY to continue preparing refugee and immigrant children for kindergarten and beyond.  For more information, contact Ed Kollin, READY Program Supervisor/Parent Educator, at edkollin@asiaohio.org or 440-864-7574.

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Asian Services In Action
Founded in 1995 by four immigrant women, the mission of ASIA is to empower Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in northeastern Ohio to take advantage of high-quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate information and services. The agency was founded under the premise that with the right support to individuals and families, the community will flourish and thrive. Annually, the agency touches the lives of more than 4,000 people through five program areas.

PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation’s priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations within the markets PNC serves in order to 1) enhance educational opportunities for children, particularly underserved pre-K children through its signature PNC Grow Up Great program; and 2) promote the growth of targeted communities through economic development initiatives.