Working with First Generation Students and Their Families

WSCA 2013 Presentation by: Kaitlyn Bradley, Sara McManus, Koy Saechao, & Tiffany Smith Interventions you are using to engage first generation families Spaghetti Feed in conjunction with FAFSA night 1079 workshop Community Involvement Navigate the entering of college workshops Work on FAFSA at school with parents Student-led conferences where we share information with parents (2 times a year) FAFSA Nights College bound Scholars Personal Interactions First generation newsletters Parent Education workshop series College bound scholarship dance Field trips to college campuses ETS in school building to provide parents with information evening sessions College fair CUB Fest/orientation Parent evening middle school visit before counselors visit middle school classrooms Plugging them into resources Latino Club Cinco de Mayo celebration once a year Open house Using interpreter to help with FAFSA and scholarships Day of Dead celebration ELL providing school information in Spanish Family engagement events/ translation of written materials Transition Plans/intervention specialist for these students ELL family nights at school & at local apartment complexes (use main office for information event) Latino family nights organized by students Reaching out by personally inviting families to attend school events Taking time to call or connect in person with students and families about how they are doing, how can we help? Barriers you are facing when you try to engage first generation families Value of education is questioned as some are in survival mode Tradition vs. new ideas brought by the high school age kids Language socio-economic barriers, where to start? Language Family involvement Lack of role models who have been to college Jobs available at the tribe and casino without higher education Worries about their children leaving home Not completing the FAFSA Fear of sharing financial information on FAFSA Identifying all of them Work schedules that conflict with school meetings or events Lack of exposure/information on the education system Equity in opportunities No follow through on steps Myths no money for college Transportation Time of event parent working at time of event