Parent University in Alternative Schools: Asset-Based Programming for Parents of Formerly Incarcerated Youth

• In Event: 81.033 - MTCC Roundtable Session 38
  In Roundtable Session: 81.033-11 - Promoting Caregiver and Child Well-Being Across Contexts

Abstract

Familial engagement is a cornerstone in comprehensive alternative education; however, implementing high quality parental outreach is difficult. Traditional approaches to parent outreach view diverse families from a deficit perspective and seek to change their behaviors, instead of building on their funds of knowledge. This article presents a case study about Parent University, a program designed with an additive lens to inform parents of formerly–incarcerated–youth about the college–going process. Findings showcase the framework of the program and analyze the experiences of participants. This study demonstrates how familial outreach initiatives can begin to include space for parents’ voices and draw from this to create more responsive curriculum and learning experiences.

Author

• Jennifer Stacy, California State University - Dominguez Hills