Parent Campaign Document

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Latino Parents Education

The Latino Initiative

2014

The Parent Campaign

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© Youth Discovery Inc 2014, All Rights Reserved

License given at no charge, upon request, for local implementation

Rights reserved for nationwide fundraising

You might want to take a look at the documents: Parent Campaign Quick Summary, and  The Latino Initiative Description.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

The Campaigns…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

The Parent Campaign……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2

Next Steps and Implementation………………………………………………

Executive Summary 

The Latino Initiative is a comprehensive campaign by Youth Discovery Inc, a Cache Valley non-profit, meant to serve minority and low-income students in the Cache Valley area so they may reach their highest potential.

Our Vision

It is Youth Discovery Inc’s vision to make use of local connections and resources to provide academic, financial, networking, engagement, guidance, and service opportunities to the minority and low-income populations of Cache Valley. Our vision includes engaging not only students, but parents, the community, and educators in a movement that empowers participants to envision and build inter-generational and inter-cultural chains of knowledge and support that will strengthen ties throughout Cache Valley and carry our community into a future where all students are achieving their highest potential. Once we have made the Latino Initiative successful in Cache Valley, we envision propagating the Initiative to all universities in Utah and in the United States.

The Challenge

Utah’s minority and low-income students are under-performing in education and career preparedness:

  • Their test scores are an average of 25 percentage points lower than their peers[1]
  • An average of 35% drop out before high school graduation[2]
  • Of those who do enter post-secondary education, an average of only 10% graduate annually[3]
  • Nationally, only 7% of all graduate degrees are earned by minority or low income students[4]
  • Nationally, of all demographic groups, they are the least likely to obtain managerial or professional employment 4 

The Goals

The primary aim of the Latino Initiative is to increase minority and low-income student post-secondary school graduation rates. To do this we need to:

  • Close the academic achievement gap.
  • Encourage student identity development and motivation.
  • Educate students on the availability of financial aid and motivate them to apply.
  • Provide post-secondary education information and opportunities.
  • Provide life skills guidance.

The Solution

The Latino Initiative is a comprehensive program that will address multiple causes of minority and low-income student under-achievement with a set of four parallel campaigns:

  • The Student Campaign
  • The Parent Campaign
  • The Community Campaign
  • The Educator Campaign

The Strategy

The Latino Initiative is a long-term plan for the personal growth and success of minority and low-income populations within Cache Valley.  The partnering organizations behind the Latino Initiative recognize that not every program and goal listed in this proposal will be immediately realized.  Instead, the partnering organizations plan to begin implementation of the Latino Initiative by selecting a few of the highest-priority programs within each of the four campaigns listed below.  Various schools and departments of the university will be invited to lead out on campaign programs that fall within their interest and expertise. The short-term goal, to be achieved in the next one to three years, will be to create and/or perfect the selected high-priority programs.  Once those successful building blocks are in place, The Latino Initiative will have a foundation that will support its full growth and effectiveness.  Implementation is estimated to be a continuous on-going process, with nearly full implementation completed by 2027. Nevertheless, as soon as the concepts are proven, there will be assignments made to transmit the success of the Initiative to other schools in Utah, starting with the Wasatch Front.

The Campaigns

Youth Discovery Inc has developed four targeted campaigns:  the Student Campaign, the Parent Campaign, the Community Campaign, and the Educator Campaign.  Each campaign’s efforts are aimed at a unique Cache Valley population, and all are intended to run concurrently with one another.

The Parent Campaign

All parents want their children to succeed.  The Parent Campaign will empower parents to better encourage their students’ success by helping them to identify ways to become more involved in their students’ education, and to identify resources that can make them stronger role models.  If an unmet need is identified, the Parent Campaign will also facilitate the creation of a new program.

The Challenge

Many minority and low-income parents may lack formal education or may come from a nation with a different educational system or language.  They often work more than one job and/or more than 40 hours per week, yet still experience poverty.  As a result, they may not:

  • Be able to help students with homework assignments;
  • Understand the U.S. grading scale, the importance of standardized testing (e.g., the ACT or SAT), how to acquire financial aid, and/or the importance of graduate degrees;
  • Attend parent-teacher conferences or parent nights, especially if these events are not offered in their primary language;
  • Have access to a computer at home; and/or
  • Have access to intellectual capital (e.g. the ability to speak English, effectively budget, or seek legal help) or social capital (e.g. a relative willing to provide free child care).

The Goals

As students progress from elementary school through post-secondary education, their parents will also progress through a series of workshops.  Workshop subjects will include educational and financial aid opportunities for both students and parents; English, financial, and computer literacy; physical and mental health best practices; immigration issues; and community organizations and programs that can provide more in-depth assistance in each of these areas.  The overarching aims of the Parent Campaign are to:

  • Educate immigrant, low-income, and parents with little educational background about the mechanics and importance of the American educational system;
  • Inform parents of ways they can support their children’s education;
  • Raise parental awareness of opportunities to help their children;
  • Raise parental awareness of opportunities to help themselves.

The Parent Campaign will also emphasize the expansion of existing resources or the creation of new ones to meet identified needs.

The Solution

The Latino Initiative partners have identified existing programs and created frameworks for new programs that target the specific needs of minority and low-income parents.

1.  Expansions of Existing Programs

(a)  Parent-Teacher Conferences, Parent Nights, and Parent Volunteers

At workshops, minority and low-income parents will be encouraged to participate in parent-teacher conferences and parent nights (please see Parent-Teacher Conferences, Section I supra).  They will also be encouraged to volunteer in their students’ classrooms.  By helping parents to overcome logistical concerns and to feel more welcomed at the school, schools can provide parents with the information and encouragement that they need to be more involved in their students’ education.  Teachers and students also benefit from having additional help in their classrooms.

(b)  Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs)

At workshops, more minority and low-income parents can be recruited to participate in PTAs.  When language poses a barrier to parent participation, the Diversity Initiative partners can facilitate translation services for the formation of Latino Advisory Councils for a PTA.  Parents who are included in PTAs feel more welcomed in their students’ schools and are more active in their students’ education in general.  Additionally, minority and low-income parents on PTAs can help schools to better understand the needs of minority and low-income students.

(c)  No Child Left Inside Group

Parent workshops can increase awareness of existing family nature clubs and/or encourage the creation of minority and low-income family nature clubs.  By exploring nature together, families can strengthen their relationships and mental well-being, while also learning science and vocabulary.

2.  Potential New Campaign Programs

(a)  Workshop Series for Adults

Free monthly workshops will be created for schools’ parent-teacher conferences and parent nights, major employers, local non-profits, and major community centers. The workshop series would cover educational and financial aid opportunities for both students and parents; English, financial, and computer literacy; physical and mental health best practices; rearing classes; immigration issues; and community organizations and programs that can provide more in-depth assistance in each of these areas. Workshop content would be structured and presented by expert non-profit organizations or other volunteers. Free childcare and refreshments would be provided to relieve logistical concerns for low-income parents. Educated parents are better empowered to help their students with their education and can become better role models for their students. They can also achieve a higher standard of living by pursuing educational and other opportunities for themselves.

(b)  Computer Labs at Major Employers and Community Centers

Computer labs can be established at every major employer and community center in Cache Valley so that minority and low-income adults (parents and other community members) without computers or Internet in their homes can access student grades and other resources during their breaks or free time. A volunteer can visit each lab once per week to help adults learn how to better use computers/the Internet and to find more information on educational and other professional development opportunities. Today’s world is highly technological, and access to computers/Internet and the computer literacy necessary to effectively use them can help adults to achieve a higher standard of living through post-secondary education and professional development opportunities.

(c)  “Language Café” Program

“Language cafes” are a language learning technique wherein a pair who speaks different primary languages enjoys a one hour lunch together. The first 30 minutes are dedicated to speaking in one language, and the second 30 minutes are dedicated to the other language. Proficiency with higher-level English or any second language will help both adults to achieve a higher standard of living through post-secondary education and professional careers. Practicing English (or other language) with a partner will not only improve fluency, but will provide participants with a possible mentor and source of social support.

(d)  Annual Family Dances

Dances can be programmed at the end of the school year for students and their families. Dances provide a great opportunity to foster stronger relationships between members of a community, to celebrate achievements, to announce upcoming events, and to fundraise. They can also be used to increase awareness of the Diversity Initiative and to recruit additional participants.

(e)  Soccer Tournaments

There could be at least one soccer tournament every semester that the Cache Valley Community participates in.  This event would build community unity and can also be used to fundraise for the Diversity Initiative and other partner organizations. USU student clubs can help facilitate this program.

(f)  Minority and Low-Income Home Visit Program (Promoters)

Similar to the migrant program and taking from national “promotoras” programs, adults invested in the community and student volunteers from established clubs would be vigorously trained and prepared to make home visits to minority and low-income families to discuss:

  1. Community resources such as local non-profits, workshops, and other opportunities;
  2. Topics in education (like the importance of ACT and FAFSA, scholarships,); and
  3. Upcoming Diversity Initiative events like the new Annual Family Dances and New Soccer Tournaments (above).

It’s important that these promoters stay consistent and are either connected to the community or are building rapport within the community. The promoters can disseminate information from the Diversity Initiative Partners and local non-profits and help those minority and low-income families who do not or cannot come to events with similar information.

(g)  Women Empowerment and Connections Programs

Through USU, local faith groups, and/or local non-profit groups, women of various ages will form a group or groups that would teach life skills like parenting and would address topics like women’s health and women’s rights. Strong inter-generational and inter-cultural chains of social support can be formed while also encouraging women to continue their education.

(h)  Community Councils

Community Councils could be established to present the concerns of minority and low-income voters to local government. Participation would help immigrants to better understand how the US government functions, encourage general voter registration and turnout, and help local government to better understand the needs of its growing population of minority and low-income voters.

Next Steps and Implementation 

Youth Discovery Inc’s Latino Initiative is among the most comprehensive plans in Utah – and possibly the nation – to increase minority, low-income and whole community achievement.  However, planning is only the first phase.  Youth Discovery Inc will begin implementation of the Latino Initiative in June 2014.

With a comprehensive plan in place, Youth Discovery Inc has determined the next steps, which will eventually lead to full implementation of The Latino Initiative.

  1. Present the Latino Initiative Business Plan to the Utah State University Division of Student Services.
    1. It is hoped that USU will formally commit to becoming the Latino Initiative’s first university partner, working to expand, improve, and create post-secondary resources as well as partnering with K-12 resources.
    2. It is hoped that USU will formally commit to aiding the Latino Initiative to gather partners, volunteers, and funding.
    3. USU will be provided with the opportunity to suggest revisions and additions to this document before providing formal commitments.
    4. It is hoped that USU will finalize all formal commitments by August 5, 2014.
    5. It is hoped that upon confirmation of formal commitments, a group of USU staff and/or faculty will formally collaborate with a group of Youth Discovery Inc staff to create a detailed list of actions with specific deadlines necessary to begin implementation of the Latino Initiative in August 2014.  These groups shall hereafter be referred to as The Implementation Committee.
    6. It is hoped that The Implementation Committee will meet and begin to work on implementation of the Latino Initiative by the beginning of August 2014.
    7. It is hoped that one of the specific actions decided upon by The Implementation Committee will be a goal to raise $250,000 or more from local business for the Latino Initiative within six months of implementation.
  2. Identify and approach other potential K-12, non-profit, faith-based, governmental, and for-profit partners.
    1. It is hoped that these entities will formally commit to providing specific resources (e.g. classes, workshops or funding) as outlined in the Latino Initiative Business Plan.
    2. Information on each partner shall be incorporated in a revised version of the Latino Initiative Business Plan and collected in a new resource book that will be distributed throughout Cache Valley (see Section 2(b) of the Community Campaign, supra).
    3. It is hoped that the details and timelines for each of these activities will be decided upon and implemented by The Implementation Committee.
  3. Work with all partners to facilitate the expansion or creation of programs starting in August 2014.
    1. Logistical and fundraising support will be offered to all K-16 educational institutions wishing to expand or begin The Latino Initiative programs.
    2. Workshop and professional development resources will be developed.
    3. Recruitment for The Latino Initiative participants and volunteers will take place.
    4. A system for The Latino Initiative data and analyses will be developed and implemented.  This system will include a community council representative of Cache Valley’s population that will provide guidance on Latino Initiative implementation and continual improvement.
    5. It is hoped that the details and timelines for these activities will be decided upon and implemented by The Implementation Committee
  4. Summary
    1. Utah State University will review, offer suggested revisions for, and formally commit to the Latino Initiative.
    2. The Implementation Committee will be fully operational by the end of August 2014.
    3. The Implementation Committee will develop a list of potential partners and a protocol/schedule for approaching these potential partners.
    4. The Implementation Committee will develop a list of other immediate steps necessary for implementation (for example, fundraising) and a protocol/schedule for successfully completing these steps.
    5. The Implementation Committee will help form a permanent structure to administer the Latino Initiative once it has been established and codified.
    6. The Implementation Committee will help form a community council representative of Cache Valley’s population to provide continual guidance on the Latino Initiative’s implementation and improvement.

Together, we can ensure that Cache Valley remains a great place for all of its residents to live, and serve as an example to the rest of the United States.

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[1] Lambert, J. Utah State Office of Education, (2009).Achievement gap. Retrieved from website: http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Educational-Data/Assessments-Student-Achievement/ScienceGapData.aspx

[2] Utah State Office of Education, (2011). Cohort graduation and dropout rate by district and school: Class of 2011. Retrieved from website: http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Educational-Data/Graduation-Dropout-Rates/FinalCohortGrad2011b.aspx

[3] Complete College America. (2011). Utah 2011- complete college America report. Retrieved from http://www.completecollege.org/docs/Utah.pdf

[4] Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). Labor force statistics from the current population survey. Retrieved from website: http://www.bls.gov/cps/demographics.htm