DIRECTORIO 2020
Learning and Growing Together HCCLF helps entire families understand virtual-learning platforms By Suzanne Pfefferle Tafur
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n the spring of 2020, as cases of COVID-19 swept through the region, school campuses promptly shut down to protect the safety of students, faculty and their families. Classes – along with lectures, exams, homework and everything that comes with them – continued via virtual learning. Students connected with teachers and classmates by logging onto Zoom and other online platforms. They sat in front of a computer for several hours a day, navigating the internet and manipulating software that many parents have never heard of. But when kids needed help with homework and technical difficulties, caretakers were put to the test – especially Spanishspeaking parents who had to face an added language barrier
before they could even help their children with their curriculum. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana Foundation (HCCLF) and the Jefferson Parish School System (JPSS) took notice. The organizations partnered to create a basic computer program for literacy and technical assistance, with classes covering fundamental computer programs and functions meant to benefit adult students in more ways than one. “We really wanted to make sure that our parents got some technology literacy skills that will help parents assist their kids in their education, but then also provide technology skills that they can apply to other aspects of their lives,” says James Gray, JPSS superintendent. www.hccl.biz
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