The goals of this evaluation were to understand the program’s impact on English language and adult learners through their work with learners and medical professionals; and to identify lessons to inform future efforts to scale this program. The HEALing the Commonwealth grant expanded the HEAL Program® developed by Literacy for Life, a non-profit housed at the College of William and Mary’s School of Education. The intent of this initiative was to scale the HEAL program by replicating it at partner sites across Virginia.  This study examined the effectiveness of instructor training and learner impact during the statewide replication of the HEAL Program® in the six Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) regions of Virginia. This project was a mixed-methods study that utilized focus group/interviews, survey data, and observations protocols. This project was supported in part by Optima Health.

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Empowering Parents Program, 2018-2020

In partnership with Matthew Whaley Elementary School in Williamsburg, Virginia, Literacy for Life developed the Empowering Parents Program to improve the knowledge and confidence of parents with low literacy and/or limited English proficiency in four areas: reading with their children (Motheread Module), health literacy (HEAL Module), communicating with their child’s school and understanding school procedures (School Engagement Module) and accessing community resources (Community Help Module). SEG conducted the evaluation study of this initiative, which found that participants reported high levels of confidence after participating in the modules and reported a positive and valuable experience. Recommendations for continued success of the program include seeking feedback, fostering relationships, and revisiting lessons with low confidence levels.

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