Please join us in welcoming our newest class of Very Involved Parents (VIPs), hailing from our LINC neighborhood in South Jamaica, Queens! On Wednesday, February 14th, LINC staff and caregivers gathered together in the library of P.S. 48Q The David N. Dinkins School for a graduation ceremony honoring a group of LINC volunteers who are making an enormous impact in Queens.
Our Very Involved Parents (VIPs) represent the pinnacle of what we strive to foster at LINC: caregivers equipped with the skills and resources to bring a passion for reading to the children in their family and their community. Before graduating, most of our VIPs have attended many LINC programs with their children, including workshops designed to build their own knowledge alongside their child’s. Though we work with many parents and caregivers throughout the year, only a select few are invited to attend our VIP workshops, based on their enthusiasm and capacity for direct volunteer service. February’s graduation ceremony was a testament to the hard work each new VIP has put into their self-growth, the development of their child, and the positive influence they had had over their community.
VIPs like Shauawana Ramnarayan know better than anyone the power that early intervention can have, not only on an individual child’s path but also on the trajectory of their family and community at large. When COVID-19 struck, Shauawana sought out the support of caregivers like her who were navigating a difficult situation without much guidance. “I’m so thankful for LINC,” she noted in her graduation speech. “I’ve become family here with every one of you.” Since joining her first program, she’s participated in dozens of LINC events, leading read-alouds and recruiting other VIPs.
South Jamaica has always been home to many of LINC’s most engaged VIPs and that includes those who participate virtually, like Hama Rohit and Carolina Acacio who logged in from Guyana to be part of workshops and virtual programs.
Whether it is virtually or in-person, LINC VIPs go on to deliver read-alouds, help organize programming, and serve as literacy advocates in their schools and across all facets of their life. We are so proud and grateful of all our VIPs new and old, and are excited to see what this incredible class of reading advocates does next.
Congratulations to the newest class of VIPs in South Jamaica, Queens!
Rena Lackraj
Tameca Greene
Farel Aneesa Brijlal
Tamira Singh
Thalia Reyes
Subarna Begum
Bindiya Deoram
Yashmanie Bharrat
Erika Anariba
Maryam Rahim
Shonett Khan
Hama Rohit
Carolina Acacio
Shilpi Sakar
Alicia Gomes
If you are interested in learning more about LINC’s VIP program, please contact ajimenez@lincnyc.org.
Comentarios