Parent Academies are hitting the road again as we continue to empower Hispanic families in 2017. Our partnership with Univision brings Parent Academies to cities around the country to empower Hispanic families and communities, and we plan to visit a number of cities this year. Our most recent stop in New York City was a huge success.
With Univision by our side, we joined forces with the NYC Department of Education for a day of professional development for their team members. The event was organized by the department’s Division of Family and Community Engagement. The division supports 1.1 million students and 1,800 schools across the city, with a large percentage of these families from immigrant backgrounds. The department’s mission is to empower parents through parent engagement programs, and provide professional development training for the 1,400 parent leaders.
The Parent Coordinators, who work directly with parents and students, coordinated the Parent Academy with over 800 people in attendance. The attendees were eager to learn about the Center’s efforts in helping all students succeed and the resources available to help students and families gain access to information about the college process.
Our outreach to Hispanic families is important to us and for the success of students. As reported by The Pew Research Center, Hispanic students are increasing in every school district in our country, describing five important facts:
- Over the past decade, the Hispanic high school dropout rate has dropped dramatically.
- Hispanics are making big inroads in college enrollment.
- Even though more Hispanics are getting a postsecondary education than ever before, Hispanics still lag other groups in obtaining a four-year degree.
- Another reason why Hispanics lag in bachelor’s degrees is that nearly half who go to college attend a public two-year school, or community college, the highest share of any race or ethnicity.
- Hispanics are significantly less likely than other groups to have student debt.
Additionally, Univision Noticias has followed six Hispanic students since July 2016, as they overcome obstacles, and balance other life responsibilities all while pursuing their educational goals. Every week, as the students find new challenges, Univision reporters have documented their experiences along the way. See a preview of these inspiring stories here.
We look forward to our continued partnership with Univision and our joint efforts in empowering Hispanic families and communities to gain access to higher education.