College of Education and Human Development Partners with the George & Barbara Bush Foundation to Advance Family Literacy

New Texas A&M Collaboration Addresses National Literacy Challenge

The College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University (CEHD) has joined forces with the newly launched Barbara Bush Fund for Family Literacy to strengthen family literacy programs benefiting children, parents and families across the country.

The Barbara Bush Fund, housed within the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, will provide grants to high-quality organizations and work towards elevating advances in comprehensive family literacy programs nationwide. These programs focus on four interconnected components: adult education and literacy, child education and literacy, parent education and interactive literacy activities.

(left to right) Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy President Andrew Roberts, George and Barbara Bush Foundation CEO Alice Yates and CEHD Dean Michael A. de Miranda.

Through this partnership, the CEHD Advanced Literacy Studies faculty and its Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning (TCALL) will provide expertise on family and adult literacy, complementing the Fund’s grantmaking process and inform evidence-based research on multigenerational learning strategies. “Our faculty and researchers are committed to sharing their insight into advancing literacy as an opportunity for our state and beyond,” said Dr. Michael A. de Miranda, Dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “This partnership allows us to be a force multiplier in amplifying Barbara Bush’s vision and make a lasting impact on children and families nationwide.”

With the support of CEHD, the Fund hopes to expand access to learning for parents and their children. “Barbara Bush believed in the transformational power of family literacy, and she championed the parent’s vital role as a child’s first and best teacher,” said Alice Gonzalez Yates ’99, CEO of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Texas A&M University to advance comprehensive family literacy programming.”

CEHD and the Barbara Bush Fund look to address literacy at a critical time, with more than half of U.S. adults reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level and nearly 7 out of 10 fourth-grade students lacking proficiency in literacy. These numbers are linked to pressing challenges for the nation, including poverty and a gap in workforce readiness.

For media inquiries, contact Ruben Hidalgo.