Lanzando Líderes

Realizing the Potential of Latino Youth Through Family Engagement in Afterschool Programming

Abstract

Lanzando Líderes (Launching Leaders) is an afterschool program for high school students in South Philadelphia’s Latino immigrant community that aims to advance the educational attainment of youth through leadership development, personalized academic support, college mentoring, and parent engagement. Working in partnership with Puentes de Salud (Bridges to Health), a community-based health and wellness center, we developed a culturally grounded program model that has made parent engagement and empowerment a priority. Our work in the community acknowledges and seeks to address the various issues that limit the engagement of immigrant parents in their children's education. In the past year, we have listened, sought feedback, and consciously reflected on our abilities as practitioners to foster deeper, more meaningful involvement of parents in their children’s educational success. In sharing our journey as practitioners, our model, and reflections, we hope to inform community members, social entrepreneurs, and policymakers who are interested in promoting immigrant parent engagement in various settings.