MAKE AN IMPACT IN YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL AND BECOME A PARENT MENTOR!
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.
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.
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.
BOOKS
A Cord of Three Strands: A New Approach to Parent Engagement in Schools
by Soo Hong, foreword by Jean Anyon
A Match on Dry Grass: Community Organizing as a Catalyst for School Reform
by Mark R. Warren, Karen L. Mapp, and The Community Organizing and School Reform Project
IN THE MEDIA
05/05/20, WCBU, Parents Lend Extra Set Of Eyes, Ears To Peoria Teachers
06/07/19, Chalkbeat, Parent mentors celebrate graduation, program expansion: ‘Each day I know I accomplish something’
12/18/18, Herald&Review, Mentoring program puts Decatur parents into classrooms. Here’s how it works
06/12/16, Chicago SunTimes, Local teacher finds success after parent mentor program
03/17/15, WBEZ 91.5, Robust CPS parent training program celebrates 20th year, as governor proposes to zero out funding
03/16/15, Chicago SunTimes, Parent Mentors celebrate 20 years in schools — but fight for funding