Stronger Families, Stronger Communities uncovers the common practices of 20 of the nation's best teachers-those receiving the Toyota Family Teacher of the Year Award across two decades -highlighting their most effective teaching strategies for supporting two-generation learning. With a firm commitment to families, these award-winning teachers share their approaches to strengthening families and communities. The hard work and determination of each of these Toyota Family Teacher of the Year recipients go well beyond the basic tasks of teaching in order to best support families and help them succeed at life. Their stories inspire and motivate. Their collective wisdom provides valuable insight for family learning practitioners. The teachers taught and personalized their teaching to each student. They shared and gave of themselves. They showed up and never gave students less than what they deserved. Their lessons learned provide insight into what works and what doesn't work-but perhaps more importantly, what worked for them. We invite you into their two-generation worlds to read their stories, reflect on their practices, and benefit from their experiences-creating stronger families and communities.
About the Author: "NCFL's mission is to address our nation's literacy challenges by engaging all family members in learning, with a primary focus on parents and children living in poverty." NCFL views education as a family affair. We see every parent as an asset; every family as a resource. By working together, we help families create their own learning networks. Whether it is obtaining a GED(R) credential, reading on grade level, or pursuing higher education, the results pave the way for economic self-sufficiency and propel families toward achieving their dreams, and our country toward collective success. Since 1991, more than 2 million families in more than 100 communities across the country have been impacted by programs developed by NCFL - our team has pioneered the concept of families learning and serving together to raise literacy levels and improve communities. Vision and Mission NCFL envisions a world in which all families are provided opportunities to improve their lives and become strong contributors to society. We address our nation's literacy challenges by engaging all family members in learning, with a primary focus on parents and children living in poverty. Who We Serve NCFL's tools and services can benefit all families. Our primary focus is to empower parents and children living in poverty and struggling with low literacy and language skills to improve their lives and become strong contributors to society. What We Do NCFL advances literacy and education by developing, implementing, and documenting innovative and promising two-generation practices, networks, and learning tools. Our Partners We lead and work with learners, administrators, teachers, librarians, policymakers, philanthropists, and advocates.