By Hannah Hall
Special to The Texas Catholic

This May, more than 200 parents and children completed Catholic Charities Dallas’ Together We Learn program. Parents, friends, and family members recognized the students’ accomplishments and celebrated graduations on May 17 and May 19. Georgina Guevara and her son Ike were among those celebrating.

Guevara started attending Together We Learn with her daughter, Emily, in 2015, and then again in 2021 with her son. She found the program after her sister recommended it when she was struggling to find a speech therapist for her daughter.

Together We Learn is a dual-generation educational program serving children under 5 and their parents. The high-quality early learning program focuses on maximizing the educational potential of every young child through engaging literacy-based lessons and activities.

Guevara expressed that Together We Learn has been incredibly impactful for her family.

“It was always helpful to have this program because of my two difficult situations, first with Emily who had a speech problem, and then with Ike, who has asthma,” Guevara said.

She shared that after one year of Together We Learn, she thought Ike was ready for a pre-kindergarten program closer to their home in Grand Prairie. However, he struggled with asthma, and at one point was even hospitalized. “His asthma was out of control, and I was so sad, so worried,” Guevara said.

Guevara worried about her son being away from her during the day, so she decided to re-enroll in CCD’s Together We Learn program.

“I was so grateful for that opportunity for my son,” Guevara said.

Enrolling Ike in the Together We Learn program meant that Guevara knew her son had the opportunity to continue his educational experience in a structured and successful program that was close to home. Additionally, it was a place where she could learn and grow as well.

While her son was down the hall in his own classroom, Guevara was learning through adult literacy activities and receiving valuable instruction in speaking, reading, and writing English through Catholic Charities Dallas’s partnership with Dallas College’s English as a Second Language program.

She shared her English has improved so much, and she is now able to help her daughter with her schoolwork, especially with her reading. She knows she will be able to support her son as well.

“My ears are better now, my listening is better,” Guevara said. “I understand when someone is saying something wrong. And that helped me a lot.”