A NOTE FROM YOUR PEI TEAM
Dear Parent Mentor Family,
We did it! And then some! This year we asked for $13.5M in the state budget for the Illinois Statewide Parent Mentor Program. It was a big, bodacious ask to go from $8M to $13.5M. Well, guess what? We ended up with $14M! Congratulations!
The main purpose of this big, bodacious request was to increase the grant amount that goes to the community organizations leading the work. As a statewide Parent Mentor network, we collectively organized for this budget increase so that the people leading this work, over 90% of whom are Black, Latina, and immigrant women, are more fairly compensated for the unique, essential, and nationally-recognized work we do every day within the classroom and beyond.
Every day this school year, 1,660 Parent Mentors worked with students in classrooms in 225 schools across Illinois. Our beloved schools are facing historic levels of mental health challenges, staffing shortages, and deeply inadequate funding systems. The fact that Parent Mentor Coordinators were able to recruit, onboard, and support 1,660 Parent Mentors to fill the gaps in our classrooms and give 33,123 students extra attention is nothing short of heroic.
We want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to every Parent Mentor who showed up every day in the classroom, and to our champions in Springfield who recognize the power of your work.
Congratulations again.
With gratitude,
The Parent Engagement Institute Team
VIDEO PREMIERE
New Video Highlights the Power of Parent Mentor Program in Building Strong School Communities
Our brand new video We Grow Together showcases the impact of the Parent Mentor Program in building strong school communities. The video highlights how through the program, parents become leaders in their community as well as mentors and advocates for their children's education, creating a supportive environment that benefits everyone involved. Click the play button above to watch!
2023 CONVENTION
Relive the 2023 Parent Mentor Program Convention: Photos and Highlights
Join us in reliving the excitement of the 2023 Parent Mentor Program Convention! From inspiring speakers to many moments of reconnecting with your PMP family, this convention had it all. And now, you can take a trip down memory lane with our photo gallery featuring all the highlights of the event. Click here to access the photo gallery!
Above (from left to right): Ana Laura Narro, PEI Lead Organizer, SWOP; Maggie Perales, PEI State Grant Administrator, SWOP; Jianan Shi, President, Chicago Board of Education and former director of Raise Your Hand; Stacy Davis Gates, President, Chicago Teachers Union; Leticia Barrera, Parent Mentor Program Director, Palenque LSNA; Jen Johnson, Chicago Deputy Mayor of Education, Youth, and Human Services; Liz Steinhauser, National Parent Engagement Organizer, American Federation of Teachers; Ruby Rodriguez, Parent Mentor Administrative Financial Manager, SWOP.
COORDINATORS IN ACTION
Parent Mentor Organizers, Coordinators Gear Up for Successful School Year with Summer Brainstorm Sessions and Workshops
Summer is here, which means Parent Mentor Organizers and Coordinators have been hard at work as they prepare for the upcoming school year. From brainstorming ways to recruit new Parent Mentors, to committing to weeks of professional development workshops, our Organizer’s and Coordinator’s tireless dedication to their crucial role in supporting their cohorts and our program as a whole is beyond inspiring! We can't wait to welcome new Parent Mentors as they join us in this transformative work.
Above: Palenque LSNA Parent Mentor Organizers and Coordinators strategizing ways to recruit new parents for 2023-2024.
Above: Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) Parent Mentor Organizers and Coordinators host and participate in a month-long professional development workshop series.
LADDERS OF OPPORTUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Congratulations to Secilia Perez on Earning Paraprofessional License!
Hailing from Gurnee, Illinois, Secilia Perez joined the PEI family by way of Woodland Primary School, where she volunteered as a Parent Mentor through the Lake County Regional Organization of Education.
After only a few weeks of starting on her Parent Mentor journey, she realized that pursuing a career in education would be her top priority. She learned about the paraprofessional role and how PEI can help prepare Parent Mentors for the licensing process, and knew instantly that this was how she would achieve her goals. We're so happy to share that Secilia Perez has received her paraprofessional license and is interviewing for a paraprofessional position! Congratulations, Secilia!
She has been greatly impacted by her experience as a Parent Mentor, and notes how powerful it is to see her work make such a difference in "students whose confidence was low, who were shy, and just needed that extra push to become outgoing students who are succeeding academically and socially.
SAVE THE DATE: UPCOMING TRAININGS
Save the Dates for the 2023 Orientation and Train-the-Trainer 101!
These sessions are designed for Parent Mentor Organizers and Coordinators who are about to start the Parent Mentor Program. While some of us will be brand new to the Parent Mentor Program and some will bring 25+ years of experience nurturing this work in our schools and communities, all of us will end up as a Parent Mentor family.
Orientation: August 7-11, 2023
This is 10 hours of training provided by the Parent Engagement Institute for Organizers and Coordinators where we flesh out all of the Parent Mentor Program (PMP) policies and procedures, guidelines, expectations, rules, roles and responsibilities, paperwork, etc. Participants will learn about the structure of the PMP as well as the ongoing coaching support they will receive from their respective Parent Engagement Institute Program Support Manager and the Parent Engagement Institute as a whole. We will also share the larger picture of PEI’s mission and vision, and our hopes and dreams for our program.
Train The Trainer 101 (TTT101): August 28-31, 2023
This is a train-the-trainer for the PMP Initial Training. This 5 days of training to bring PMP participants together into a space to ground ourselves in love, connection, relationship building, compassion, self-care, and growth. During TTT101, PEI models the PM initial training for ALL Coordinators and Organizers who will return to their communities and share the amazing experiences and love with their Parent Mentor cohorts.
Kick-Off Celebration for 2023-24 School Year: September 1, 2023
Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!
PEI BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUTS
May & June Birthdays at the Parent Engagement Institute
Ana Laura Narro
PEI Lead Organizer, Parent Engagement Institute, SWOP
Ana Laura was born in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, and is the oldest of four children. Due to her father’s job, Ana Laura lived her childhood moving around Mexico and enjoyed experiencing different foods, traditions, and people. Ana Laura was an education and art lover and dreamed of one day becoming a teacher.
She earned her bachelor's degree in Communication and won a scholarship to Davidson College in North Carolina, where she completed her associate's degree in Art and Visual Communication.
After her family moved to the United States, Ana Laura noticed strained communications between her daughter’s preschool staff and non-English-speaking parents due to a lack of translation assistance. Always seeking ways to lend a helping hand, she took the initiative to help with the language barrier and became a Parent Aid. Upon understanding the immense value Ana Laura’s skills bring, the school Principal supported her in obtaining her teaching license.
Ana Laura took a short hiatus from working in education to stay at home to take care of her son who became ill. After learning her son was experiencing issues in his classroom, she jumped into action and worked with the school board to resolve the matter. While she wasn’t able to accept it, the Principal offered her a position at the school and introduced her to the Parent Mentor Program as the next best way to become involved in her son’s school.
Ana Laura became a Coordinator and Organizer for Nightingale School and is now with Southwest Organizing Project and the Parent Engagement Institute. She loves the Parent Mentor Program because it allows her to fulfill her dream of educating and helping others by creating a way for parents to understand the school system better and grow personally and professionally.
Ruby Rodriguez
Parent Mentor Administrative Financial Manager, Parent Engagement Institute, SWOP
Ruby Rodriguez was born and raised in the Eckhart Park area of Chicago. As she entered her teenage years, Ruby started to dream big and plan her future. Her first job was at First Chicago Bank as a proofreader. Ruby graduated high school and began her college education while continuing to work and climb the ranks at the bank.
It wasn't long after that she met the her husband, Joel Rodriguez, and the joy and happiness of family life began.
After working for the bank for 13 years, Ruby decided to become a full-time stay-at-home mom. She rejoined the workforce a few years later and was encouraged to apply for an open position at the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP). A perfect fit, Ruby was hired and welcomed with open arms. She is now thriving as a Parent Mentor Administrative Financial Manager with the Parent Mentor Program.
Ruby says what she loves most about the Parent Mentor Program is the empowerment of the individual Parent Mentors and the impact on the children. She recognizes the need for father figures in kids' lives and hopes more fathers join the PMP program. Ruby is of strong faith, loves to DIY, and enjoys spending time with family and friends