Connecting Through Literacy Incarcerated Parents, Children and Caregivers

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"Not only has CLICC provided help to the women at York [Correctional Institution], but it also has helped mentor our children to better their future, encouraging them to want to learn." - Mom who participated in CLICC Introducing - CLICC Connections!  We are so pleased to share our first issue of CLICC Connections, the official newsletter of the CLICC program. CLICC (Connecting through Literacy: Incarcerated Parents, their Children, and Caregivers) is a program of Connecticut Appleseed. It connects incarcerated parents and their children using a family literacy curriculum. Through CLICC, participants are matched with supportive mentors and offered transitional assistance when the parents return home. Our goals are to strengthen family relationships, encourage a love of reading and learning, and reduce the number of parents who re-offend and are returned to prison. Each parent and child pair in the CLICC program reads one book each month, chosen by the child, and completes literacy activities based on that book. Trained mentors support the communication between parent and child and help with literacy as needed.    This year, CLICC mentors have been meeting each week with approximately 30 parents, both in prison and post-release, and 40 children at 16 community-based locations in the greater Bridgeport and New Haven areas of Connecticut.  Our mentors come to us from all over Connecticut — Greenwich to New London. A number of colleges and universities, including the University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut, Housatonic Community College, University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, and Yale University have all partnered with us in identifying exceptional student mentors and tutors to work with the children in CLICC. We are now planning our expansion to Hartford and beyond! CLICC Literacy Fairs CLICC partnered with the Quinnipiac Future Teachers Organization to host two literacy fairs this year for CLICC families in Bridgeport and New Haven. At our most recent fair at Housatonic Community College (HCC) in Bridgeport, 18 children participated in literacy activities such as alphabet games, fishing for words, writing poetry, creating comics, and doing crafts. Participants enjoyed pizza, cake, and book giveaways — all to celebrate CLICC families.               Thanks to the Quinnipiac Future Teachers Organization for bringing this terrific learning fair to Bridgeport. Thanks to HCC for hosting. And thank you to our wonderful families for attending.     Congratulations and Thank You, LaQruishia Gill!   LaQruishia Gill interned for the CLICC program through the Yale Divinity School for the 2015-16 academic year. As a mentor for the mothers at York Correctional Institution, LaQruishia offered support with empathy and compassion. We thank LaQruishia for her dedication to the CLICC program and congratulate her on her graduation! We are sure she will continue to do great things for this world!    Here's what LaQruishia had to say about her experience:   "During my time as a Student Intern, I was able to experience many different aspects of the CLICC Program. One of my favorites was the weekly meetings with a group of mothers at York Correctional Institution. The women are so thoughtful and creative. We had important conversations about parenting, their relationships with their children, and ideas about the future. I also met weekly with a group of children and mentors at the New Haven Public Library. The kids were great, and they definitely kept me on my toes from week to week. Both aspects of this work were meaningful and enlightening; I am certainly a better person for having had this experience!" Thank you to the Connecticut Department of Correction, U.S. Department of Justice, and to all of our supporters and volunteers! We could not succeed without you! For information on how to get involved with CLICC or to make a donation, please contact us at: Box 112714, Stamford CT 06911 or clicc.program@gmail.com. CLICC Founder Arthur H. White 1934 - 2014 A lifelong social entrepreneur, Arthur H. White of Stamford developed the idea for the CLICC program following many years of service on federal commissions on national employment, education, and job training issues. In 2002, he was appointed Special Assistant for education and job training at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In this role, he developed the idea for a program to improve the literacy of incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. Today, that program is CLICC. A Harvard University undergraduate and MBA, Mr. White enjoyed a successful life in the private sector as well as years of service on numerous state and local government boards. He was a founder of the nonprofit, Jobs for the Future, which analyzes and develops responses to job education, training, and retraining needs, and of Reading is Fundamental (RIF), which has given more than 412 million new free books to children in need in the United States. In 2007, he was designated a Purpose Prize Fellow in recognition of his continuing activities as a social innovator. We think of him often, and his example inspires us every day.  Copyright © *2016* *Connecticut Appleseed*, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: CLICC Program Box 112714 Stamford, CT 06911 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list