December 2022 Newsletter
December Newsletter
12.07.22
Featured Story
1,400 Parent mentors recruited this year
Our new 2022-2023 map highlights the ever-growing reach and impact of the Parent Mentor Program. This year, we are partnering with over 40 community organizations 233 schools across Illinois.
Above: Nicholson Elementary Parent Mentor Josefina Rodriguez guides a student through their assignments.
Building Power
Above:
The Ace Project & Washington Elementary School Parent Mentors organize to protect tenant’s rights in Riverdale, IL.
Last week, we kicked off our Beyond the Classroom weekly workshop series led by Maggie Perales and Adriana Velazquez of Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP). We heard from our incredible network of PEI Organizers and Parent Mentors about how they utilized the Parent Mentor Program to unite the school community for long-term change.
Above: The Ace Project & Washington Elementary School Parent Mentors getting petition signatures to address eviction due to water outage.
Above: Maggie Perales presenting steps for organizing, building power, and taking action beyond the classroom.
““There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.””
Join the next Beyond the Classroom workshop!
Workshop #2: 12/21/22
Workshop #3: 2/15/23
Workshop #4: 3/15/23
All workshops take place on Zoom and are offered at two times:
11:30am - 1:00pm: English, Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic
4:00 - 5:30pm: English or Spanish.
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
100th Year Celebration at Gale Elementary
Congratulations to Gale Elementary Community Academy’s Principal Leal, staff, students, and parents (and Parent Mentors!) on your Centennial Birthday!
We really love when our elected officials come out and take time for our Parent Mentors. In attendance at the celebration were Senator Mike Simmons, Alderwoman Maria Hadden, Member of IL House of Representatives from the 14th district Kelly Cassidy, and US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
From all of us at PEI, we wish Gale Academy another 100 years of success in educating and inspiring our future generations of scholars and leaders.
FALL/WINTER WORKSHOPS
Parent Advocacy Leadership Training Workshop:
When: Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Who: Presented by Paula Wills and Lynn Betts Maria Castillo
What: Participants will gain an understanding about the special education process in Illinois and Family Resource on Disabilities (FRCD), learn how the FRCD’s services supports families, and gain an understanding of and the requirements for participating in the Parent Advocacy Leadership (PAL) Program.
Up next:
12/14/22: PEER Presentation
12/21/22: Beyond the Classroom #2 - Organizing Tools & Mini-Grant Update Pt. I
1/11/23: Mental Health
1/18-23 - 2/1/23: Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline
2/8/23: Benefits of Learning a Second Language
2/15/23: Beyond the Classroom #2 - Organizing Tools & Mini-Grant Update Pt. II
All workshops take place on Zoom and are offered at two times:
11:30am - 1:00pm: English, Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic
4:00 - 5:30pm: English or Spanish.
