Cardinal Farrell Community Center - Together We Learn

Program Overview

Together We Learn (TWL) is a dual generation program for children under the age of five and their parent. The children participate in a high-quality early education while their parents participate in four modules: child development, health and safety, advocacy, and English As a Second Language (ESL).
Together We Learn presents a powerful family centered approach to ensure success in school for the children and empower parents for school advocacy and the workforce.
Early Childhood Education | Preschool classes equip, encourage, and support children's success in school through mastery of skills in language and communication, reading, writing, math, science, fine arts, technology and social/emotional development. Experienced, professionally trained teachers lead activities that include integrated learning through Circle Time, Center Time, circle and center activities, art projects, music, small group activities, and sensory play. Children will graduate from TWL with strong academic readiness skills as well as the ability to understand and express the English language.
Adult Education | Parent classes and activities are focused on English-language readiness and school advocacy. Parents learn communication and language skills including ESL and basic reading and writing. Parent enrichment classes are offered to empower the parent to be their child's first teacher and advocate for their child throughout the academic journey.

Cost Info

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

April Success Story
Cardinal Farrell Community Center – Together We Learn Program

There are two educational statistics in Dallas County which
drive our Together We Learn Program. The first statistic is only 1 out of every 2 five-year olds is entering the Kindergarten classroom ready to learn. This means about 50% of five-year olds in Dallas are displaying the developmental skillset of a younger child such as a four-year-old and in some cases a much
younger three-year-old. The second alarming statistic is for every month a child is behind developmentally, it takes about three months to mediate that delay. These statistics drive the need for a program such as Together We Learn where
children are receiving the quality experiences necessary to mediate delays in development, specifically, in the areas of language and cognition.
Roberto and his mother Angelica entered the Together We Learn program in September 2017. Angelica had heard about the program through a friend and neighbor. While Angelica tested high enough to join the advanced English as a second language (ESL) classroom, Roberto entered the classroom for young three-year olds. Within his first month in the program, Roberto was assessed to develop his abilities in language, cognition and personal social skills. Roberto entered our program as a 2-year-old, but he was displaying the abilities of a child under two years of age. He had a developmental delay in language of about 10 months while his results in cognition and personal social skills both showed about a 6-month delay. Roberto's teacher, Maria, documented his lack of language expression and preference to point at objects when trying to communicate with others. Socially, he tended to keep to himself and he lacked the ability to initiate play activities with others. He lacked number awareness and book awareness. Roberto could not say his name or speak 20 words which is a typical ability for a child who is about 2 years of age.
Fast forward to May 2018, after eight intensive months of hard work in the classroom, Roberto made great strides in all areas of development. Socially, he is displaying the skills of a three-year-old and he can now initiate play with peers in different learning centers within his classroom. In the areas of cognition and language, he has closed his delays and is expressing language. He can identify the different parts of a book such as the title, author, the front and back. He can say his name and his vocabulary now exceeds 50 words. When you ask Roberto to share his name, he not only says it but he claps out his name by syllables, he recognizes the letters in his name and he can count to eight. On a typical morning, Roberto likes to dance and play with his peers. Roberto's mother and his teacher have worked hard both in the classroom and in the home to provide him with the ideal interactions and experiences to promote developmental growth and close his developmental gaps.
The partnership between the TWL team and Angelica, Roberto's mother, has greatly benefited him and he is on track to display the skills of a three and a half-year-old by his upcoming third birthday this summer. The TWL team along with Roberto's mother worked together to close Roberto's 10-month gap in language and his 6 month gaps in cognition as well as personal social skills. Both Roberto and his mother plan to enroll in the TWL program for a second year this coming fall.
The future for Roberto is bright and the TWL team is committed to providing him a second year of quality early learning to ensure he will continue to develop the necessary abilities to be kindergarten ready as well as continue to foster a love for exploration and learning.