A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Mattel Foundation/Alliance for Technology Access:
Family Learning Program

The Mattel Foundation, established in 1978, is dedicated to the betterment of children's lives, which it encourages through grantmaking programs. One of the most successful of these initiatives is the Mattel Family Learning Program (MFLP).

This program began in 1990 as the IBM Writing to Read Computer Laboratory Project, a program designed to teach K-Grade 1 students to read and write in a self-contained lab environment. The project had a positive influence on the writing and reading achievement of all students, but was especially effective for students with special needs.

In 1994, the Mattel Foundation began a partnership with the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA), an agency that seeks to bring technology into the lives of children and adults with disabilities. The two shared a common goal to improve the educational achievement of all children, especially those with special needs, through the imaginative application of computer technology in classrooms across the country. Together, they refined the mission of the MFLP from providing participating schools with a Writing to Read Lab to providing schools and community centers with the opportunity to choose equipment that will complement their existing technology programs.

Advances in technology and the growing popularity and accessibility of the Internet and the World Wide Web prompted the MFLP to provide its participants with the hardware, software, wiring, and technical support necessary to go online. ATA created a closed listserv and Web site as vehicles for the schools to share resources and creations, find pen pals, and make other online connections.

Recognizing the strong and direct correlation between educational success and the involvement of the family in a child's education, the MFLP began to provide support to schools and community centers to enable them to develop after-school, family involvement programs.

These programs now provide families with opportunities outside of regular school hours to participate and learn how computers are helping children with disabilities gain self-confidence while improving their skills. Family members get to see first-hand how adaptive technology and appropriate software can support their children's attainment of educational and social goals. They benefit from seeing their children mastering something as seemingly complicated and intimidating as technology, taking center stage as "computer stars." As such, the children are able to show their siblings and peers how to use the technology. These after-school programs not only strengthen every child's ability to learn, but also strengthen the bonds between family, school, and community.

To date, the MFLP has had a profound impact on the education of more than 23,000 students across the country, including 3,018 special education students and 7,303 disadvantaged, at-risk students. Additionally, 300 teachers, special education instructors, librarians, administrators, paraprofessionals, volunteers, and parents have benefited from specialized training provided by ATA, and from the use of computer equipment provided by the Mattel Foundation.

Contact:

Russ Holland
Alliance for Technology Access
2175 E. Francisco Boulevard
San Rafael, CA 94901-5524
415-455-4575
russholland@ATAccess.org
www.ATAccess.org

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[AT&T: Learning Network]

[Nortel: Teacher Training Program]