LOS NINOS PRIMERO INC
471 MOUNT VERNON HIGHWAY NE, ATLANTA, GA 30328 www.losninosprimeroga.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO PREPARE UNDERSERVED LATINO PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN FOR EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR LANGUAGE, COGNITIVE, SOCIAL, AND MOTOR SKILLS. TOGETHER WITH CERTIFIED TEACHERS, ENGAGED PARENTS, AND TRAINED TEEN VOLUNTEERS, WE INSPIRE A PASSION FOR LEARNING.

BEGINNING IN THE SUMMER OF 2001, LOS NIOS PRIMERO HAS SERVED UNDERPRIVILEGED LATINO CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES LIVING IN THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY. LOS NIOS PRIMERO IS THE ONLY LATINA-LED NONPROFIT IN ATLANTA THAT PROVIDES ACADEMIC, LEADERSHIP, ARTS AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT TO THIS CONSTITUENCY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARITZA MORELLI, EMIGRATED TO ATLANTA THIRTY YEARS AGO, FROM VENEZUELA. SHE IS KEENLY AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES IMMIGRANT FAMILIES FACE. MARITZA UNDERSTANDS THE DELICATE BALANCE THE FAMILIES STRIKE TO ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN THRIVE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHILE PRESERVING A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION TO THEIR HERITAGE, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE. IN HER 20-YEAR LEADERSHIP AT LOS NIOS PRIMERO, MARITZA HAS SUCCEEDED IN CULTIVATING A HARMONIOUS, COHESIVE AND RESPECTFUL COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE FAMILIES CAN LEARN, LEAD AND EXCEL. SHE HAS LED THE ORGANIZATION FROM ONE SITE WITH 17 CHILDREN IN 2001 TO SIX SERVICE SITES, SERVING 800 CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN 2019. TESTIMONY TO OUR LONGEVITY OF SERVING THE LATINO IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, IS THAT WE ARE NOW EDUCATING "SECOND GENERATION" STUDENTS. SPECIFICALLY, STUDENTS FROM THE INAUGURAL CLASS OF 2001, ARE ENROLLING THEIR OWN CHILDREN IN OUR PROGRAMS. IN 2019, WE ENROLLED FIVE "SECOND GENERATION" CHILDREN. LOS NIOS PRIMERO HAS SIX PRIMARY PROGRAMS: 1. YEAR-ROUND ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS: LOS NIOS PRIMERO OFFERS SUMMER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SATURDAY SCHOOL SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. ALL CHILDREN, AGES 3 TO 6-YEARS OLD, ENROLLED IN LOS NIOS PRIMERO'S YEAR-ROUND ACADEMIC PROGRAM RECEIVE PRE- ACADEMIC TRAINING IN A LANGUAGE-RICH STEAM ENVIRONMENT. THE INSTRUCTION FOR THE THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS IS BASED ON THE BRIGHT FROM THE START LEARNING OBJECTIVES. THE FIVE AND SIX-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS' INSTRUCTION IS DESIGNED TO ALIGN WITH THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES FROM THE GEORGIA STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE. DURING THE SUMMER ACADEMIC PROGRAM, STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH DAILY ROUND TRIP BUS TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE PROGRAM, A MORNING SNACK AND HOT LUNCH, AGE-APPROPRIATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BOOKS, AND LEARNING MATERIAL TO TAKE HOME. ADDITIONALLY, THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS RECEIVE BILINGUAL SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SCREENING FROM A CERTIFIED SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST. THE EARLY SCREENING ALLOWS FOR THE CHILDREN TO RECEIVE SERVICES TAILORED TO THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS BEFORE THEY ENTER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL. SATURDAY SCHOOL SESSIONS ARE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR THREE- AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS. IN THIS HALF-DAY PROGRAM, LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE ADVANCED THROUGH VARIOUS THEMES, SCIENCE, MATH, MUSIC AND ART PROJECTS. 2. EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM: IN THE FALL OF 2017, WE ADDED AN EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM AT CENTRO CATLICO DEL ESPIRITU SANTO. IN THE FALL OF 2019, WE ADDED A SECOND SITE IN ROSWELL AT MIMOSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE PROGRAM SEEKS TO IMPROVE LATINO FAMILY LITERACY BY INVITING THE PARENTS INTO THE CLASSROOM AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO INVEST EARLY IN A PRODUCTIVE ACADEMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CHILDREN. IT IS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL APPROACH TO LITERACY. THE PARENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE CLASSROOM AND PREPARE MONTHLY BOOK REPORT PRESENTATIONS WITH THEIR CHILD. THE CLASSROOM IS LED BY A BILINGUAL TEACHER WHO USES BILINGUAL BOOKS AND CREATIVE EXPLORATION TO STRENGTHEN LITERACY SKILLS AND TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THE STUDENTS (CHILD AND ADULT). WE EVALUATE EACH ENROLLED STUDENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. SARA BOTTO, A RESEARCH DOCTORAL STUDENT AT EMORY UNIVERSITY (STUDYING COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT) HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN OBSERVING AND RECORDING THE GAINS THE STUDENTS HAVE MADE. TO DATE, SHE HAS OBSERVED IN THE CLASSROOM, HELPED THE TEACHERS TO EVALUATE EACH STUDENT AND HAS PRODUCED THE QUANTITATIVE DATA USED TO TRACK THEIR PROGRESS. SARA IS BILINGUAL AND HAS CREATED A SURVEY FOR THE PARENTS WHICH SHE USES TO EVALUATE THEIR PROGRESS IN THE PROGRAM. SHE COMBINES HER OBSERVATIONAL DATA, THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS AND PARENT SURVEYS TO MEASURE THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS. AT THE FINISH OF THE FIRST SESSION, SARA CHARACTERIZED THE PROGRESS AS "REMARKABLE- AND SUMMARIZED ACCORDINGLY: "IN SUM, BOTH OBSERVATIONAL REPORTS AND STATISTICAL DATA PROVIDE STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE LITERACY PROGRAM'S SUCCESS. ALL CHILDREN SHOWED IMPROVEMENT ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES, SHOWING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN." IN 2019, WE PARTNERED WITH THE ALLIANCE THEATRE TO ADD A UNIQUE COMPONENT TO IMPROVING FAMILY LITERACY. THE FAMILIES WORK WITH THE ACTORS TO TELL AND RE-TELL STORIES AS AN ENSEMBLE, INCREASING LITERACY SKILLS AND DEVELOPING A LOVE FOR READING AND STORYTELLING. THROUGH STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS, ARTMAKING, MUSIC-MAKING AND PERFORMANCE, THE LOS NIOS PRIMERO COMMUNITY HAS STRENGTHENED OUR CONNECTION TO THE ALLIANCE THEATRE WHILE IMPROVING THE CHILDREN AND PARENTS' LITERACY SKILLS. 3. ARTS AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT: ART, CHORUS, ORCHESTRA, AND DANCE (4 TO 10-YEARS OLD): DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE SUPPLEMENT THE STUDENTS' LEARNING WITH CHORUS, ORCHESTRA, DANCE, ART AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. IN OUR CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA PROGRAMS, SONGS AND MUSIC COMPOSITIONS SUPPORT CLASSROOM ACADEMIC LEARNING. A VARIETY OF CULTURAL AND MUSICAL TRADITIONS ARE TAUGHT, AND THE CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE SKILLS ARE MARKEDLY IMPROVED. PROVIDING THESE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO OUR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES GIVES THE CHILDREN EXPERIENCES THAT FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING TO THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY. THE YOUNG STUDENTS HAVE SERVED AS OUTSTANDING MUSICAL AMBASSADORS. THE CHILDREN HAVE PERFORMED CONCERTS AND DANCED IN ATLANTA, HAPEVILLE, ROSWELL, SANDY SPRINGS AND BUCKHEAD. EVENT VENUES INCLUDE: THE 2019 CELEBRATION OF THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AWARDS, ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER, DOROTHY BENSON SENIOR CENTER, SANDY SPRINGS CITY CENTER, UNIVISION TV, WSB-TV, MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, BUCKHEAD CLUB, THE MEXICAN CONSULATE & SANDY SPRINGS HERITAGE CENTER. WE SUPPLEMENT THE STUDENTS' LEARNING WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT ENHANCE THEIR LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND CREATE A WELL-ROUNDED INDIVIDUAL. INTEGRATING MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE CURRICULUM ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE FUN ACTIVITIES THAT INCREASE THE STUDENTS' LEARNING, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, MEMORIZATION, AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. IN OUR CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA PROGRAMS, SONGS AND MUSIC COMPOSITIONS ARE TAUGHT TO SUPPORT CLASSROOM ACADEMIC LEARNING AND A VARIETY OF CULTURAL MUSICAL TRADITIONS. THESE SUPPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES HELP THE STUDENT TO BUILD A STRONG SENSE OF BELONGING AND KEEP THEM CONNECTED TO OUR PROGRAM DURING THEIR SCHOOL YEAR UNTIL THEY REACH THE AGE (13 YEARS OLD) TO RETURN AS A YOUTH VOLUNTEER. LOS NIOS PRIMERO HAS INTRODUCED THE FAMILIES TO MANY OF ATLANTA'S CULTURAL DESTINATIONS. FIELD TRIPS HAVE INCLUDED: THE ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDENS, THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS, THE ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER, THE HIGH MUSEUM, ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, THE AURORA THEATRE AND PRODUCTIONS AT THE SANDY SPRINGS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. 4. SPORTS: SOCCER, KARATE, SWIMMING (4 TO 10-YEARS OLD): WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CONCOURSE ATHLETIC CLUB TO OFFER SWIMMING TO OUR FAMILIES. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 10 CHILDREN WHO ARE LEARNING WATER SAFETY AND BASIC SWIMMING STROKES. IN 2019, COACH ABDULRAHMAN BANGURA WAS CONTRACTED TO COACH OUR SOCCER PROGRAM. COACH ABDUL INSPIRES AND ADVANCES A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR YOUNG PLAYERS BY INTEGRATING SOCIAL, HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING INSTRUCTION. AS AN IMMIGRANT FROM SIERRA LEONE, COACH ABDUL IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES MANY OF OUR STUDENTS FACE. HE IS A SKILLED INSTRUCTOR AND TEACHES THE MOST EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO INSPIRING COOPERATION AND TEAMWORK. KARATE IS OFFERED WEEKLY. IT PROMOTES SELF-DISCIPLINE, CONCENTRATION AND COORDINATION. AT WEEKLY PRACTICES, STUDENTS ENGAGE IN FUN, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHILE DEVELOPING HEALTHY HABITS. 5. YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (8TH GRADE THROUGH COLLEGE-AGED VOLUNTEERS): OUR 140 YOUTH VOLUNTEERS ARE DILIGENT STUDENTS WHO TAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD OUR PROGRAM WITH THEIR APPLICATION. EACH YOUTH MUST HAVE A TEACHER OR COMMUNITY LEADER'S RECOMMENDATION, STATEMENT OF STRONG SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND MUST WRITE A PERSUASIVE, WELL ORGANIZED ESSAY FOR THEIR APPLICATION. THE SELECTED TEENS ARE TRAINED TO ASSIST THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM AND TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EXEMPLARY ROLE MODELS FOR THE YOUNGER CHILDREN. MANY OF THESE TEENS RISE VERY EARLY ON SUMMER MORNINGS (AT 7 AM) TO RIDE THE SCHOOL BUSES THAT BRING THE PRESCHOOL STUDENTS TO OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM. THE SUCCESS LOS NIOS PRIMERO HAS ACHIEVED BY INCLUDING TEENS IN THE DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP OF OUR PRESCHOOL PROGRAM SERVES SOCIETY WELL. OUR YOUTH PARTICIPATION IS A UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE ESSENTIAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR PRESCHOOLERS. THE TEEN COMPONENT ALLOWS OUR PRESCHOOL AGE STUDENTS TO CONNECT WITH POWERFULLY INSPIRING ROLE MODELS. THE VOLUNTEERS DEMONSTRATE DAILY THEIR CAPACITY FOR KINDNESS WHILE ACTIVELY PROMOTING LEADERSHIP, INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY AND PRIDE IN THEIR CULTURE. IN 201

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