Twilight Education Project
At 5:30 p.m., in a low-income neighborhood of Huntington Beach, Mexican immigrant families board a yellow school bus that will take them to a better life. These families are headed for the Twilight Education Project at the Kid Connection Branch, where they learn language and life skills to help them thrive in their new home. A program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley, the Twilight Education Project removes the typical barriers to services: it’s free, takes place after work hours and provides transportation and child care. Last year, 170 children and 130 adults learned side by side in the program’s supportive atmosphere.
Three nights a week, school-age children receive tutoring in English literacy, homework help and computer lab access. Their toddler siblings participate in the Clubs’ nationally accredited pre-school program, which also focuses on English literacy. Just a few feet away, parents learn Community Based English, a curriculum that helps them gain proficiency in speaking and reading language associated with safety, medical care, transportation and work. At the Huntington Beach Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley, families can access an on-site resource center with job listings in the community and application help. Parents can also take computer class two mornings a week to enhance their job skills.
“Because of language and cultural barriers, like being hesitant to go to their child’s school and talk to a teacher, parents don’t know how to support their children in this new culture,” explains Tanya Hoxsie, Chief Executive Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley. “We give them tools to help their children and resources to help the family succeed in their new community.”
Community Partners: Huntington Beach Adult School, Community Based English Tutorial Program, El Viento Foundation, Golden West College, Huntington Beach City School District, United Way, and the Children & Families Commission of Orange County.
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