(October 11, 2011) Community engagement does not mean starting from scratch. Advocates in communities long have come together to tackle specific needs, like health, housing and development. José Medrano, of the START Center in South Texas, describes how, in the Texas Rio Grande Valley several such groups are working together to focus attention on education, particularly local dropout rates. The
START
Center (South Texas Adult Resource and Training Center) is a member of the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network, which is composed of 10 community-based organizations funded by the Marguerite Casey Foundation. They are committed to creating a movement of social change through the civic engagement of the more than 25,000 people. José, who also chairs the education committee of the RGV Equal Voice Network, is interviewed by Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate. Send comments to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Sign up to receive free e-mail notices when new episodes are available.
See resource links and show notes. (13.5 MB; 00:14:36 min.)
Send feedback by
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or online.
Resources
¡YA! Es Tiempo IDRA gathered more than 140 parents, community leaders, students, educators, public officials, and policymakers in July 2010 for a day of listening, dialogue and network building to improve the quality of education for all students in the
Rio Grande
Valley .
Equal Voice for America’s Families Campaign Through partnerships with the 250 community organizations supported by Marguerite Casey Foundation, the newspaper is also able to connect journalists with families, community organizers and local experts in 14 states ( Alabama , Arkansas , Arizona , California , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , New Mexico , Tennessee , Texas and
Washington ).
* José offers an overview of the education committee of the Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network that he chairs. He talks about the committee's mission to educate and train parents and to empower them as leaders who advocate for change.
* José explains the challenge of understanding the true dropout rates of schools in the region, especially amid concerns that districts are "playing with the numbers."
* José talks about working with promotora (outreach) groups to disseminate accurate information to families in the nearby colonias.
* José explains the power of coalitions and outlines how the
START
Center has benefitted from collaborating with other education agencies.
* José compares the promotora model of outreach and parental involvement with the approach that school districts typically take.
Listen to every episode!
To ensure you don't miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.
© Intercultural Development Research Association · 5815 Callaghan Road, Suite 101 · San Antonio,Texas 78228
(October 11, 2011) Community engagement does not mean starting from scratch. Advocates in communities long have come together to tackle specific needs, like health, housing and development. José Medrano, of the START Center in South Texas, describes how, in the Texas Rio Grande Valley several such groups are working together to focus attention on education, particularly local dropout rates. The
