Our Programs
Community Schools/Parents Leadership
(on hold since 2006)
Immigrant parents and their US-born peers want to support their children’s education and yet are often impeded by a lack of information, cultural and language differences, and several other factors. Our Parent Leadership Workshop Series in Spanish at Langley Park McCormick Elementary sought to strengthen the capacity of Latino and other new immigrant parents to become full partners in their children’s education.
Funded in part by Family Works of the Maryland Family Service Agency, for two consecutive years our 8-week-long Workshop Series introduced parents to the workings and resources of the local educational system, training parents how to: support and enhance their children’s critical reading and thinking; ask the ”right questions“ of teachers and others involved in their children’s schooling; and interpret grades and report cards.
At the same time, we worked to promote the concept of ”the university-assisted community school“ which creates a web of support that nurtures youth development toward productive adulthood.
In the future, we hope to assist the County in its efforts to create Parent Resource Centers in each of our area schools.