In the Hispanic culture, mothers exert a powerful influence on their children. Yet, many are not modeling education and career aspirations. It is the expectations, involvement, and role-modeling of the mothers that will have the lasting impact on their daughters’ educational development.
For these reasons we will start a Hispanic Mother/Daughter Program for 6th grade girls at Esperanza patterned after the very successful program Dr. Josie Tinajero started in El Paso, Texas many years ago.
Why 6th grade girls? We need to start as young as possible as pattern of school failure starts early. Decisions young girls make will affect their options in middle school which will then affect their high school options. The program is a deliberate effort to intervene at a time when girls are still open to academic and career options, and they aren’t yet in the greater social and academic pressures of middle school.
It is less expensive to invest in programs that work for our Hispanic young women such as the Hispanic Mother/Daughter Program than it will be to pay later in welfare checks and treatments centers and/or prisons.
Goals and Objectives
Build the self-esteem of both mothers and girls.
Encourage both mothers and girls to complete high school and college.
Acquaint the girls and mothers to higher education and professional careers.
Raise the girls’ and mothers’ aspirations for educational and career opportunities.
Improve the quality of academic preparation for higher education.
Increase Hispanic parental commitment to higher education and help mothers to become more effective role models.
Introduce community role models.
Hispanic mothers need to be taught the gift it is to be their daughter's primary educational advocate... and the Hispanic Mother/Daughter Program is one of the best ways to do that.
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