Literacy Achieves reopens Early Childhood Education Building

Cody and Sally Welch of Byrom Rose Construction completed the work in time and under budget, say Literacy Achieves officials.

Cody Welch admits he didn’t know much about the mission of Literacy Achieves when he got a call last year to refurbish their Early Childhood Education Building in Vickery Meadow. After months watching the work of dedicated volunteers, though, Welch now considers himself the nonprofit’s biggest fan.

Welch and wife Sally own Byrom Rose Construction, and they’d come highly recommended by a board member after the building sustained water damage during the 2020 Icemaggedon. The two stay busy remodeling homes and managing commercial construction jobs in Lake Highlands, Lakewood and Preston Hollow, but the preschool project presented an interesting challenge. As often happens with construction, the task began simply and became increasingly complex as they dug in.

“It just got bigger and bigger, so where we started is not where we ended,” Cody explains. “We brought in an architect who redesigned the entire structure, so basically all the walls have been moved. There’s a new electrical system, HVAC, plumbing, reframe and half the roof. The only thing that stayed was the exterior.”

In two wooden buildings in the heart of Vickery, more than 100 caring volunteers arrive each week for the dual program. Adults receive English literacy and citizenship preparation, with one-on-one tutoring for the naturalization interview. Preschoolers receive high-quality education in a safe and loving environment. Referrals are made to community agencies for help with nutrition, legal and financial issues. The program is successful, organization officials say, because it’s located in the heart of the neighborhood. Classes are free of charge.

Cody and Sally attended a ribbon cutting and re-dedication ceremony Wednesday, along with board members, donors and volunteers. Another special guest put the preschool project in perspective — the Welches’ new baby.

“To see how many people are involved shows just how much this building means to them,” said Cody, looking around at the assembled crowd. “The work done here is important to this community. My son’s not even talking yet, but I already want the best for him — the best education possible.”

Arang Cistulli, Preston Hollow neighbor and president-elect of the board at Literacy Achieves, says she and fellow trustees are grateful to donors and volunteers for helping to provide “the best education possible” for neighbors in Vickery Meadow — and she understands the impact well. She arrived with her family from South Korea when she was just one year old.

“Dallas is a recipient city for refugees and speaking as an immigrant, knowing firsthand, it’s a struggle. Your child may have done really well in school in the country where you came from, but they don’t know the language. They might have been a great math student, but math is taught differently in every country. All this affects the child’s ability to engage, not only in school, but socially. It also affects their self-esteem and confidence.”

Cistulli’s father was a neurosurgeon in his native South Korea, and he was able to work as an obstetrician/ gynecologist here in America. Many immigrants are not so lucky. Some arrive as professionals with degrees which do not transfer when they arrive.

“This is a real-life situation,” says Cistulli. “Now they are out of a job. So, what do they become? Some open dry cleaners or other businesses, working to support their families.”

Cistulli’s dad spent extra time with each patient to compensate for any communication gap caused by his language shortcomings. He wanted to show that he was sincere in caring for their wellbeing.

“He didn’t think with an accent, he just spoke with an accent,” she remembers.

Her mother split time pitching in with his solo practice and speaking to other Korean moms to learn about the American education system. That camaraderie, says Cistulli, is what immigrant parents find in the adult programs at Literacy Achieves.

“In Korea, a studying child is a happy child. It’s all about academics. Why be on a sports team? Why go out for cheerleading? To have something like Literacy Achieves, where you learn the language to express and understand and advocate for your child is critical. It’s A-okay if your child gets a B instead of an A. It’s A-okay if they have learning differences and need additional services. To have a community where parents can get together and understand how schools work in this country is incredibly valuable.”

The newly refurbished Literacy Achieves facility is at 6329 Ridgecrest. Satellite campuses are open at 1018 Gallagher in West Dallas and 629 N. Peak in East Dallas.

If you’d like to volunteer with Literacy Achieves, find out more here. Among adults with the lowest literacy levels, 43% live in poverty. About 70% of adult welfare recipients have low literacy levels, and there’s a clear correlation between more education and higher earnings. Children of parents with low literacy skills have a 72% chance of remaining stuck at the lowest reading levels themselves. They tend to get poor grades, display behavioral problems, earn high absentee rates and drop out. You may donate here.