18 Dec 2006
For additional information:
Isabel Santa, (202) 725-6032
Hispanic CREO’s Media Campaign Successfully Empowers Latino Parents
Denver, CO – Hispanic CREO’s media campaign, Cambio, Acción, Educación (Change, Action, Education) has been declared a major success in the Hispanic community by a comprehensive independent evaluation.
Hispanic CREO partnered with Entravision in a yearlong Latino media campaign focused on answering some of the problems Latino families face regarding their children’s education. The project increases parental involvement through Hispanic CREO’s parent workshops and grassroots outreach activities. It aims to educate, inform, and mobilize Hispanic parents in Denver. Participants gain knowledge on navigating their local educational system, understanding their rights and options, and becoming self-advocates for their children’s education.
The campaign helps to address key issues such as one mentioned in Colorado’s five year review report; parents stated that they liked the information on School Accountability Reports (SAR) but didn’t feel empowered to act.
“To say parents don’t care or are lazy about their children’s education is a lie. Our work reflects that in just one year, we have mobilized more than 2,100 Hispanic parents to take a more involved role in their children’s education,” said Linda Sosa, Hispanic CREO Field Organizer.
The evaluation report finds that Hispanic CREO is transforming passive parents into powerful leaders. Many parents who joined Hispanic CREO agree that their involvement in Hispanic CREO is impacting their participation in their communities, by attending PTA meetings and taking greater leadership roles.
Nevertheless, disparities in Latino education persist. The recent SAR released by the Colorado Department of Education (CDOE), shows that student performance in Colorado’s 178 public school districts has risen. However, the long-running trend of economically disadvantaged, inner city students attending low-performing public schools still exist.
According to the CDOE, Latino students in Denver have the highest dropout rate of all ethnic groups, 5.2 percent and the lowest graduation rate of 56.5 percent.
“Currently the crisis in Latino education continues, when 136 of 196 public schools in Denver are classified as low or unsatisfactory and that’s where most of our vulnerable children are dropping out from,” said Sosa.
“The work Hispanic CREO has conducted helps strengthen families and activate the community around educational issues. Our children can’t wait any longer for schools to improve. I am grateful that CREO has taught me about other available educational options and the value of parental involvement,” said Lidia Casas, mother and member of Hispanic CREO.
“The media campaign,” said Scott Flores, Hispanic CREO Trustee Member, “has allowed us to promote free, high quality, bilingual parent workshops and training sessions that help strengthen families and communities. Information remains a key to educational success, and in collaboration with other Latino community based organizations, we are helping parents become better informed about their rights and educational options to ensure that their families receive the best education possible.”
Based in Washington, D.C. and supported by a growing membership, Hispanic CREO’s mission is to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education. Hispanic CREO’s purpose is to be a national voice for the right of Hispanic families to access all educational options and to be an agent for equity and quality in education. For more information, please visit www.hcreo.org.
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