As we begin 2013, we want to thank our donors, volunteers, partners and supporters for your contributions to Parent Services Project’s work over the past year. We are grateful that you stand with us – recognizing how important families’ voices are, as we work towards equity for all children and communities. We remain committed to helping local, state and national partners build parent leadership by equipping them with concrete tools for advocacy and change. We invite you to read about some of the exciting developments at Parent Services Project.
We are proud to share the news that our Community Outreach Manager, Florencia Parada, received the 2012-13 Martin Luther King Jr., Humanitarian Award from the Marin County Human Rights Commission. Florencia has worked at PSP for over six years, and was honored this month for her outstanding service and commitment to low-income and immigrant families living in Marin. Florencia is well-deserving of this recognition as she is so strongly committed to working alongside families, raising their leadership to advocate for affordable child care, quality education, safe neighborhoods and healthy homes.
For the past several months, Parent Services Project has been working with parents and staff of San Rafael City Schools to review the district’s current family engagement policy and consider revisions. This work has been accomplished through the district’s Family Engagement Task Force, which PSP coordinates. By including families in the conversation about what such a policy should look like, we are building broader understanding about what it takes to create strong home-to-school partnerships. Our first lesson from the families is the importance of having language that is accessible – easy to understand, and welcoming. A new draft policy is in the works
Parent Services Project has just published a new family leadership curriculum as part of our statewide work with the California Strengthening Families Initiative and the CA Office of Child Abuse Prevention. The curriculum, Leaders for Change: Protective Factors in Action, is available in English and Spanish. Over the next several months, we will lead this 20-hour training in the following six counties: El Dorado, Lake, Santa Clara, Tulare, Orange and Los Angeles. In the process of leading these trainings, we will work closely with local organizations to build their capacity to continue offering workshops.