As children in blue caps and gowns received their preschool diplomas, their moms held their tiny hands. Two generations celebrated their achievements Thursday.
The parents completed the Community Action Network program, a nine-month leadership initiative offered by Bachman Lake Together, a nonprofit organization.
“Parents are the first teachers. We need to lead with the example,” said Denisse Gutierrez, 32, a mother of four children, who gave remarks during the ceremony.
The program is designed to serve parents in the 75220 ZIP code by teaching them how to get involved in their children’s development. The program also teaches parents how to navigate the educational system, where to find resources and how to advocate for citywide policies that will improve their community.
On Thursday, 19 moms and their children walked the Bachman Recreation Center stage decorated with black and gold banners and balloons.
Israel Rivera, executive director of parent advocacy and support services in Dallas ISD, delivered a keynote address highlighting the importance of parental engagement in children’s education.
Reshaping the future
The free Community Action Network program is divided into different levels. Classes are held in Spanish twice a week during the school year. Children up to five years old receive free education.
Level one is for parents of young children. Level two is for those who want to expand their leadership skills and continue to promote early education opportunities in the community. And level three is for “agents,” or those parents who will continue advocating for broader projects and civic engagement.
Since 2009, Bachman Lake Together has worked with families and more than 50 community partners to advance early education through Montessori education while empowering parents.
Olga Martinez Hickman, the executive director of the organization, said Latino parents are often stereotyped as not caring about their children’s education and uninvolved in their schools.
The organization wants to change that by providing a road map for parents to navigate the systems that can offer them economic mobility.
According to the city of Dallas’ language dashboard, about 43% of residents in the 75220 ZIP code are Spanish speakers, and around 47% of the population is foreign-born.
“Bachman Lake [area] has been overlooked for years,” Martinez Hickman said. “We focus on early education because when these kids grow, they will influence the life and economy of Dallas and North Texas.”
Gutierrez, 32, originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, has lived in the neighborhood for over 10 years. She said her family has benefited from the program.
Her two oldest daughters are enrolled in a magnet school. Before, she didn’t know about the different types of schools and programs DISD offers.
She’s created a network of support by meeting other mothers with similar interests and backgrounds.
Mónica Sánchez, 34, who also graduated, says the program has given her the tools to engage with and advocate for the community. She said she never thought she could talk with a police officer or a city official.
Originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, Sanchez joined the program to help her four children navigate the school system and address neighborhood safety issues.
She wants children to be able to walk safely to the park.
Now, she knows which city department to call if she sees something wrong in her neighborhood. She wants other parents to take leadership and contribute to making the area a better place.
“I am not doing this for me; I am doing this for my children because education is the only inheritance we can leave them so they can have a better life,” Sánchez said.
