Public libraries have been offering adult education classes for immigrant populations from their earliest inception, and today is no different. With drastic budget cuts in recent years, libraries have been picking up the slack left when government agencies were forced to downsize ESL and GED education programs. In terms of Spanish-language adult literacy programming, the Plaza Comunitaria program is a great way for libraries to provide instruction that would transition Spanish-speaking patrons into other adult literacy and ESL programming by giving them a basic educational foundation to build off of. The Mexican Government developed the certified curriculum in 2001 to help Spanish-speakers learn to read and write as well as complete elementary- and intermediate-education. Since 2004, the U.S. Government has had a "Memorandum of Understanding" with the Mexican Government accepting the cirriculm, and now there are 400 programs in the U.S.
In 2005, the Richardson Public Library in the Dallas, TX metro area received a grant from the Texas Library Association which allowed them to establish the library as a Plaza Comunitaria program center. The staff member chosen to run the program was sent to training in Mexico and an agreement was signed giving the library access to the textbooks and testing system developed by the Mexican Government. Today the program runs on an annual budget of around $5,000, which covers printing costs, supplies, institutional materials, and a graduation ceremony with a dinner.
Setting out with the goal of reaching 25 adult students, the library recruited 12 Latino volunteer tutors who would run two hour study groups each week. Tutors were trained through materials from the Plaza program and local literacy organizations. The program was advertised throughout the Spanish-speaking community of Dallas and by the end of 2006, there were 100 registered students. Today, the programs serves and average of 200 students a year. The textbooks, which are all grounded in life/work skills, take an average of 1-3 months to work through (besides the basic literacy textbook, which takes a year); twelve books count as the completion of one educational level. The program is not limited to only study time however: past programs have included workshops and seminars on everything from computers and finance to health and civic literacy, as well as field trips to museums and author lectures.
In terms of program success, partnerships with local organizations have been key. The library partnered with the Richardson Independent School District After School Program, which provided the services of two paid teachers. The Richardson Adult Literacy Center has also been another important partner. Of course, the library encountered some obstacles along the way. The program has had an overall retention rate of 70%, as family and work issues often get in the way of coursework. The basic literacy program only has a retention rate of 50%, as the curriculum is especially rigorous and requires more investment. Lack of space and trained tutors has also been an issue. The library has found that visiting local professional and cultural associations has been a good recruitment method for tutors; many former students also have gone on to become tutors.
Continuing education and the cultivation of all levels of literacy have always been a key part of the mission of our public libraries, and there is no reason that a library's Spanish-language services can't reflect that goal as well. I think that the fact that the Plazas program is established by the Mexican Government is a great way to draw Spanish-speakers into the library, while also providing them with a method for reaching their educational goals that is certified in both their home country as well as their adopted country.
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