PARENT MENTOR PROGRAM
Parent Mentors, mainly Latina and Black mothers, help fill persistent equity gaps by volunteering in classrooms for 2 hours/day for at least 100 hours. The Parent Mentors are supported by weekly training on classroom instructional practices as well as leadership training. As a result, they support each other to pursue their goals and unite the school community for long term change.
How the Parent Mentor Program Works
1. Community organizations partner with local schools to recruit and train 8-20 parents per school to assist teachers two hours every day.
2. Parents are assigned to a classroom (not their own child’s) where they work one-on-one or in small groups with children. After reaching 100 volunteer hours, parent mentors receive a small stipend.
3. One day per week, parent mentors receive extra training around academic instruction, professional development, community engagement and leadership skills.
Benefits of the Program
MAKING AN IMPACT FOR TEACHERS
Parent Mentors provide extra eyes, ears, and hands in the classroom. In addition, Parent Mentors can help connect the school to the community by drawing on the strengths of neighborhood families.
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
Parent Mentors can give extra attention to students in need, particularly ELL students—many of whom need extra support in grades K-3 because they are learning literacy in two languages.
INTENSIVE PARENT TRAINING
Parent Mentors learn how the U.S. school system works and strengthen skills needed to support their children in school. In turn, Parent Mentors become community resources and share these skills with neighbors. The program also provides a pipeline to bilingual teaching and other careers.
STRONGER FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Schools become vibrant centers of community as families begin to see the school as a place to access adult education classes and multiple services. Parents develop leadership skills necessary to create positive change in the school and community.
To Get Involved:
CURRENT LIST OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
Gallistel Language Academy
John L. Marsh
Henry Clay
Douglas Taylor
George Washington Elementary
Arnold Mireles
Edward Sadlowski
PARENTS AND TEACHERS AT OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS:
If you are interested in joining the Parent Mentor Team at one of our school partner sites (listed below) please contact the Parent Mentor Coordinator listed or the Karen Gonzalez at kgonzalez@ctu-iwp.org and Hilda Maldonado, hmaldonado@ctu-iwp.org.
