ENGAGED LATINO PARENTS ADVANCING STUDENT OUTCOMES

ELPASO EXITO GIVES PARENTS THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN BEFORE THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH THEIR COMMUNITY. SINCE 2014, MORE THAN 4,000 PARENTS HAVE BEEN VISITED AND INFORMED ABOUT AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE IN THE PARENTS' COMMUNITY TO BETTER THEIR LIFE AND THEIR CHILDRENS' FUTURE. EACH OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, ELPASO EXITO HAS TRAINED 30-40 LATINO MOTHERS AND FATHERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TOPICS, SUCH AS LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, EARLY READING AND WRITING SKILLS, EARLY MATH, AND SOCIAL- EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SO PARENTS CAN INCORPORATE NEW BEHAVIORS FOR THE BETTER. THE INFORMATION IS GIVEN, AND PARENT LEADERS CAN INCORPORATE IT AT HOME, OBSERVE CHANGES IN THEIR CHILDREN'S AWARENESS AND DESIRE FOR LEARNING, AND THEN SHARE IT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. ELPASO EXITO HAS SEVERAL PARENTS WHO FIRST WENT TO THE CAFECITOS AND NOW ARE STRONG PARTICIPANTS OF ELPASO EXITO, AND OFFER CAFECITOS TO THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.

ELPASO VOZ IS A GROUP OF PARENTS WITH THE GOAL OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND USING THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF BOULDER COUNTY. THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ON FAMILY WELL- BEING. FOR EXAMPLE, ELPASO VOZ IN LAFAYETTE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF LATINO CHILDREN BY THE FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEES AT SCHOOL. IN RESPONSE, THE BVSD NUTRITION DIRECTOR INVITED THE ELPASO VOZ PARENT LEADERS TO PERSONALLY EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS, AND INVITE THE EMPLOYEES TO TREAT ALL STUDENTS NICELY SO THAT THEY FEEL GOOD AND ARE READY TO KEEP LEARNING. ELPASO VOZ IN BOULDER IS FOCUSING ON BULLYING, TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CHILDREN IN STOPPING THIS BEHAVIOR.