Throughout parenthood, mothers and fathers often find themselves wishing for instructions on how to raise their children to be successful in school and in life. Though no such manual exists, some neighborhood organizations supported by United Way of Metro Chicago are providing parents with the next best tool – parent leadership programs.
“Parent leadership programs are a great way for parents to get to know each other and to get more involved in their community. It gives parents a voice and the confidence to speak up for their children and advocate for them within the school system and their communities,” said Jessica Lucas, a senior program manager with United Way of Metro Chicago. “It also affords parents the opportunity to build relationships and friendships throughout the community, which leads to more engaged, vibrant and safer communities.”
We, at United Way, support parent leadership programs through our Neighborhood Network Initiative, a region-wide strategy to address community challenges by driving focused collaboration between coalitions of residents, schools, nonprofits, government officials, businesses and other stakeholders.
In our West Chicago Neighborhood Network, WeGo Together for Kids teaches parents how to set and pursue personal and collective goals that can better themselves and their community.
Forty miles east, in our Brighton Park Neighborhood Network, the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council is training parents to work alongside teachers in local classrooms and play a more active role in their children’s education.
Though the two Neighborhood Networks take different approaches to parent leadership training, their outcomes are very much the same — parents are being empowered to enhance their lives, families and communities in bold, new ways.
West Chicago: Setting Personal, Collective Goals for Success
At District 33 schools in the suburbs of West Chicago, WeGo Together for Kids hosts a yearly leadership program that teaches parents how to set and achieve short- and long-term goals. The goals vary, but all are intended to improve not only the parents’ lives, but the lives of others engaged with the school.
“Our mission is really to work with the parents to build advocacy skills, to work on leadership opportunities and then find different committees or building bases in the schools or communities where the parents feel empowered and welcome to share their voice at the table,” said Ciara Thomas, community school coordinator for the district.
Some of the 15 parents who enroll in the program each year aim to learn English and develop the skills needed to help their children with their schoolwork, while others plan to obtain United States citizenship, return to school or adapt healthier lifestyles.
To achieve their goals, parents must put themselves first for a change. “[The program] kind of asks the parents to be selfish and really focus on themselves so they are fully in-tune with themselves and they can be leaders for their families and communities,” Ciara explained.
Once their goals are set, We Go Together for Kids’ leadership program provides a supportive environment for the parents as they pursue their next steps.
For Ma. Elena Gonzalez, a mother of two, the program helped her build the confidence to pursue her goals and opened her mind to new ways of thinking. “What has impacted me the most is to know myself more – to know what I can do and what I can become,” Ma. Elena said.
In her two years with the program, she’s accomplished one of her biggest goals – becoming a U.S. citizen. “I feel fulfilled as a person. I feel enthusiasm for myself that I managed to make this goal and that I can achieve more and go further,” Ma. Elena said.
Likewise, Maria Dolores, a mother of three who’s lived in West Chicago for 11 years, has learned the skills needed to pursue her own ambitions, like prioritizing her personal growth and improving her English speaking. Doing so required her to shift her habits. “I’m drawn to the idea that one always gives to the family and children first and then to oneself, and this program taught me to put myself first,” Maria said.
She also learned to divide her long-term goals into smaller goals that are less intimidating and more achievable in her day-to-day life and to rely more on her family for support. “I have taken several steps, some of them have worked and some of them have not. I have done a lot to create my time and my space,” Maria said. “For my English, I have been practicing more with my little boy and I have been practicing my pronunciation, which is hard…but I’m moving forward.”
The strong focus on personal goal-setting is the first six-week phase of the Community Organizing and Family Issues, or COFI, learning model used for the leadership program. In the second phase, the parents identify a community-wide goal and work together to achieve it. This helps develop the parents’ advocacy and leadership skills.
Last year, the parent cohort aimed to improve their children’s physical activity, so they created a weekly walking club for families and students to meet and be active together. The next cohort explored the health benefits of reducing children’s consumption of sugary drinks.
At the end of the school year, the parents, wanting to share their newfound knowledge with others, gathered 200 preschool moms on Mexican Mother’s Day in May to present their findings. “It was really cool to see them as leaders and have them present the material to other families, as opposed to school staff or an institution,” Ciara said. “[These lessons] are more impactful coming from a peer.”
Since graduating from the program, several parents have also gone on to sit on the school’s Resident Leadership team, helping with asset mapping and surveying other parents to learn how the school can better support their families’ needs.
For Ciara, who works closely with each cohort, witnessing the parents put their teachings into action has been a rewarding endeavor. “It’s exciting to see their growth and to see how parents really have the opportunity to decide where they want to go from here.”
