Creative Curriculum Connections

World Vision has been a great resource to our Charter School. Our teachers have been greatly blessed with materials for their classrooms and instruction. In addition the incredible expertise of Nina Zaragoza has supported our Parent Involvement program at Family Life. This spring we expect to have Nina participate in our Literacy Professional Development program. Her books have been an invaluable resource. May God continue to bless World Vision as they continue to do outreach to the communities in New York City.

World Vision is an invaluable organization. The staff has dedicated time and resources to better our non-profits in the South Bronx. Nina Zaragoza's mentorship has been extremely influential, not only professionally but also personally. She has helped me to run a more effective and influential after-school tutoring program. Volunteer recruitment and training, curriculum building, and parent workshops are some of the ways Nina's advice has improved the program. World Vision has helped to better the youth and their families of the South Bronx. I am thankful for their servant hearts, commitment to disenfranchised communities, and their wealth of expertise and networks. Niki Ashiru SUCCESS Program Coordinator ?With the assistance of Nina Zaragoza, we?ve been able to successfully realign the focus of our family shelter after-school program from recreation to literacy improvement. With Dr. Zaragoza?s on-site evaluation of the academic support components of our recreation programs and periodic trainings with our staff, we?ve been able to restructure the curriculum in a way that fosters learning in a fun and engaging environment.?

 I just picked up your book today for my final class in my graduate program at the University of Mississippi. Since my classes hadn't started yet, and I was enjoying a leisurely summer, I decided to get some early reading done. I made it through the first few pages and tears filled my eyes and I wanted to tell you how touched and inspired I was in just the beginning of reading your book. I have taught in the Mississippi Delta for four years at an extremely low income school, full of corrupt administrations and corporal punishment where students are expected to be quiet. It's not uncommon to hear a teacher shout "Shut up or I'll beat your asses" down the hallway while waving a paddle, or hear another threaten to hang them up on the coat rack, or another hitting a child on the head with a shoe. When I first started teaching, I had not had the background of theory or really understood how vital it is to maintaining my own philosophy and safe classroom environment the face of these challenges and realities.
I have to admit it was hard to hang onto my ideals in those first years in a new culture and a new profession. This last year with more confidence and experience I began to utilize and own the student centered practices that I envisioned and make my classroom a place where children are respected and listened to, and where children take learning into their own hands. Teachers are still amazed that my kindergartners chose and checked off their own centers and composed and published their own books.
It's amazing that some school environments don't support the "right, respectful and just" methods or philosophy that I have been fighting so hard to maintain, or maybe it's just that they haven't thought about it much and are only doing their job. Sadly, though it seems that this loss of the vision of education being right, respectful and just happens in those communities and for those children who need it the most.
Thanks for your insights and your words...they have spoken to me and I'm sure many others and I haven't even finished the book yet. I am so excited to read the rest of your letters and wanted you to know that I treasure your words deeply, and that your words will help me begin a new year encouraged and supported in my philosophy of teaching. Thank you so much and God bless.

Jenessa Cozad
K-1 teacher
Lambert, MS 

Through the use of learning strategies, independent reading, response to reading, and reading aloud Dr. Nina Zaragoza was able to model to program participants, and staff of Nelson Avenue Family Resident?s Enrichment Program an effective way to implement our new curriculum, which also consists of writing, educational interactive games, and mentoring. During the Response to Reading time, children are asked to respond, make connection to what they have read, and how it reflects to real world. The children are actually reading more and enjoying it.? Thank you Nina.

The training offered by World Vision through Nina Zaragoza has been critical in helping us successfully meet the academic needs the children we participate in our after school program Create Success. There is no doubt in my mind that our children?s jump in reading levels is due to the structured literacy program that Nina helped us design and implement. We look forward to the continued training and on-site support that the Vision Youth Institute will offer us.

“Nina Zaragoza has worked with my son for the past two years and has helped him immensely. She has worked patiently with him to improve his reading skills, which has been invaluable to his classroom success. Nina has helped my son grow in confidence and to be more accepting of his individual strengths and challenges. She is so much more than a teacher. Nina has a special relationship with all of her "kids" and is each child's number one fan.” 

“Nos has mostrado con tu humor , persistencia y tenacidad, que podemos lograr las cosas y que nada es imposible.” 

“You have demonstrated to us with your humor, persistence, and tenacity that we can obtain our goals and that nothing is impossible.”

-Andreina, mother of a child with special needs; Caracas, Venezuela

“Dr. Nina Zaragoza has had such a profound impact on my six year old daughter and my family. She has taught Alexis how to use her ideas and pictures to write her own story books. Alexis has learned how to participate in playwriting and has been taught to assist other children in learning how to read. Dr. Zaragoza provides parents with the tools necessary to support their children in the learning process. Her love for children and teaching is indisputable.”

-Diana, Nurse practitioner and mother of two; New York