Since 2007 ForWords has developed a literacy-based program with a focus on reading, writing, technology and the arts.
Why ForWords is Important
50% of ForWords students are English learners, 100% are low-income, 95% are youth of color and 100% are first-generation learners.
90% of the emerging English learners in the classrooms where ForWords works are not fluent in English.
Nationwide
Only 25% of high school students are proficient in writing and other key areas.
In California
Only 50% of third graders read and write at grade-level proficiency.
In Our Community
There is an achievement gap between White vs. Latinx students of 45% gap in 3rd Grade Literacy, a 50% gap in 8th Grade Math, and a 41% gap in College and Career Readiness.
Approximately 30% of our students test out at the lowest level in their English assessment.
San Rafael City Schools District
Numbers of English Language Learners
From 2016 to 2020, there has been a 31% increase in the number of English Language Learners, in grades K-12.
Over 20% of all San Rafael City School students are English Language Learners.
Stats & Facts
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4000+
Students
Served
100% high school graduation rate for
After School & Saturday ForWords programs. -
90% of FWs students reported improvement in speaking skills, confidence, turning ideas/thinking into presentation forms.
50% of students increased their reading fluency through our summer programs. -
90% of Summer Bridge rising 9th graders earn their first 5 units of high school credit.
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Visiting artists: digital art teachers, drama and dance teachers, photographers, poets, muralists, documentarians, attorneys, historians
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25 separate publications.
700 individual students published their writing.
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Award winning documentary film [premiered at the San Rafael Theatre].
First major community mural True Colors - created in the Canal Area of San Rafael and in collaboration with the world renowned Precita Eyes of San Francisco. -
Students created and performed plays, PSAs, poetry festivals, spoken word events, panels, and testimony before governmental boards.
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Since its founding in 2007, ForWords has increased the students served by 40%.
70% of our staff comes from the community ForWords serves. -
Did you know that ForWords has also worked in Berkeley, San Pablo, San Francisco, East Palo Alto, and Oakland?
Securing the Future
ForWords students graduate from high school, go to college, obtain meaningful employment and come back to their community. On one of our visits to the University of California, Merced, our high school juniors and seniors toured the campus with three ForWords graduates, current students at UC Merced! What a moment.
ForWords has provided 23 individual college scholarships, including our 3 tour guides at UC Merced.
