Parent Mentor Program — Parent Engagement Institute

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 class-room instructional practices and leadership training. As a result, they support each other to pursue their goals and unite the school community for long term change.

PrincipalMathis — T
**hey are so instrumental.**

Our parents need to know and understand that they are valued and that we need them. There is absolutely no way our school can be successful without a family partnership or some other outside connection to bring us back into a community. The Parent Mentor Program offers just that and that's something that honestly, I didn't feel when I got here. I didn't feel a sense of community. I felt that the parents thought that it was “us” and “them”... The Parent Mentors that we have here at our school are so instrumental. They only get paid for a couple hours a day but most of them are here all day.
**Latrese Mathis**
Principal
John Hays Elementary

How It Works

Community organizations partner with local schools to recruit and train 8-20 parents per school to assist teachers two hours every day
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.
One day per week, parent mentors receive extra training around academic instruction, professional development, community engagement and leadership skills.

making an impact

SUPPORT 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.

**I could see the change…**

I was ready to go home, and on my way, I saw a student in the hallway struggling with a math problem. I stopped. He was very mad, very angry. I looked at the problem. I was not even sure if I going to solve that when I was just telling him, let's do it together. And he said, "Sure, yeah, let's do it together." Then I just shared a little bit of my knowledge with him. Whenever he knows and he starts refreshing that, remembering that, and both of us would resolve that problem. Then, when they turn to look at the students, he was full of happiness. He was so happy. Then I could see the change that me and students... we made. He was from sad, to happy.
**Loubna Aittarhouzaft**
Parent Coordinator
Moline Coal Valley Schools

A Nationally recognized program

The Parent Engagement Institute, a partnership of Palenque LSNA and Southwest Organizing Project, coaches community organizations and school districts across the country to replicate and scale the LSNA Parent Mentor Program. Learn more.