UTPA GEAR UP Parental Involvement Component presents: Avanzando Juntos, GEARing UP for College

1. UTPA GEAR UP Parental Involvement Component presents: Avanzando Juntos, GEARing UP for College

2. How Parental Involvement = Student Success • Involving parents in the education of their children directly effects student achievement in school. • Students’ grades improve and they like to go to school because of parental involvement.

3. Parental involvement in High SchoolParent involvement actually declines as students grow older • There are many reasons from the parent and also from the school for this lack of involvement. • One of the reasons concerns the lack of understanding of nontraditional families on the part of the school system. • The nontraditional family is struggling to deal with many factors that affect every member of the family. • These can definitely affect the way that the family is able to be involved in the student's education.

4. The UTPA GEAR UP Team • The GEAR UP Coordinator and GEAR UP Family Liaison work as a TEAM to plan, coordinate, and provide essential services to GEAR UP parents.

5. How is UTPA GEAR UP involving parents? • Parental Involvement Initiatives • National Hispanic Institute Modules • Las Platicas Academy • Parent Conferences

6. National Hispanic Institute (NHI) Modules

7. NHI and UTPA GEAR UP • NHI and UTPA GEAR UP work concurrently to create a parent/student-centered curriculum, that is both innovative and research based.

8. The Result • 18 research based modules that bring content to GEAR UP’s Family and Community Liaisons’ monthly parent meetings. • Because each module is tailored for our project, they are distinctly empowering to our parents.

9. The Modules • Introduction • How to use each module (a guide to successfully implementing each module) • Phase I • Summary of module • Module requirements • Time • Materials • Space • Printouts • Parent handouts

10. Learning Strategies • Tips on conducting presentation • Activities and Discussion • Appropriate for each module • Different activities to choose from • Power Point • Supportive to each module • Closing

11. 8th grade modules • Module 1 – Family and Community Liaison as primary point of contact • Module 2 – Campaigning Generation 2015 • Module 3 – Social influences and psychological of our children • Module 4 – Cultivating the future • Module 5 – Planning for the future • Module 6 – College preparation timeline • Module 7 – Easing parents’ fears about college • Module 8 – Parents as students • Module 9 – Well-rounded students

12. 9th grade Modules • Module 10 - Welcome to the 9th grade • Module 11 - Getting an early start on that diploma • Module 12 - Understanding your 9th grader • Module 13 - Stepping to the Challenge • Module 14 - Besides good grades • Module 15 - Think College, Talk College, Toward College • Module 16 - Going the extra mile • Module 17 - Understanding Financial Aid Process • Module 18 - Moving on

13. Las Platicas Academy

14. What is Las Platicas Academy? • Las Platicas Academy is a unique and incredibly effective venture. Tapping on what makes the South Texas Rio Grande Valley culture special and distinct; and that is our love to platicar (chat). However, our platicas are focused on our children’s education and academic opportunities.

15. What is Las Platicas Academy? UTPA GEAR UP provides 15 hours of instruction to volunteer parents in sequential academic sessions. Each session is designed to educate Parent Volunteers on different aspects of their child’s life and most importantly, prepares them to share the information with other parents in their community.

16. The Academy • Each Family and Community Liaison recruits at least one (1) parent volunteer per every hundred GEAR UP students in their campus. • Parents are trained in sequential form through Las Platicas Academy. • Upon completion of 15 hour training, a graduation ceremony is held, and parent volunteers are recognized as “Platicadoras” or “Platicadores”.

17. Las Platicas Academy Topics high school graduation plans college admissions entrance exams financial aid

18. Role of the GEAR UP Platicadora • Conduct informal training sessions with other parents using materials provided in the Las Platicas Academy • Provide awareness of GEAR UP services to other GEAR UP parents • Volunteer in the school and community to spread information about college access

19. Parent Conference

20. Reaching out • Parent Conferences are a wonderful opportunity to reach out to a large amount of parents. • UTPA GEAR UP Parent conferences offer a series of college readiness themed bilingual sessions, that are both informational and inspiring.

21. One is never enough • This year, UTPA GEAR UP had the opportunity to offer five extremely successful Parent Conferences in La Joya, McAllen, Brownsville. • More than 1500 GEAR UP parents were serviced.

22. UTPA GEAR UP Family and Community Liaisons • Coordinate all GEAR UP services to parents. • Conduct monthly parent meetings using materials provided by NHI. • Support and facilitate volunteer opportunities for Platicadoras. • Perform home visits as necessary. • Recruit parents to participate in GEAR UP activities.

23. Parent Services

24. Parent Services • Awareness on Assessments • Academic Awareness on Rigorous Coursework • Counseling/Advisement on College Planning • Family Involvement Activities • GEAR UP Awareness • Literacy-Computer Training • Literacy-GED • Workshops on Other Topics

25. Parent Services • Workshops on College Preparation • Counseling/Advisement on Financial Aid • Counseling/Advisement on Other Topics • Literacy-ESL • Literacy-Biblioteca • Literacy-Other • Community-Volunteering • Community-Leadership Development • Academic Awareness on Other Topics • College Visit

26. UTPA GEAR UP in La Joya

27. Questions…. Elizabeth K. Cruz 292-7508 Ekcruz@utpa.edu