District 88 provides resources, programming for Spanish-speaking parents

On March 16, about 40 Latino parents/guardians and students from Addison Trail and Willowbrook attended a “Desayuno Motivacional” (Motivational Breakfast), which was organized by Dr. Ferney Ramírez, a respected psychologist and coordinator of bilingual parent-education programs. For more information about Dr. Ramírez, go to https://www.facebook.com/La-familia-primero-Ferney-Ramirez-193125840706909/.

During the event, the organization La Familia Primero (Families First) presented an educational program to help families understand the integral formation of their children and the optimal development of Latino families.

Two families shared their stories of success – the Rivas family, whose son received a scholarship at Stanford University, and the Marquez family, whose son received a full scholarship and is finishing his medical career at Harvard University. The presenters discussed how these accomplishments are a result of the support and motivation the children received from their families to stay focused on their education. Participants also were asked to put their phones away for the morning, to encourage connection.

District 88 is proud to have a diverse school community – the district has 51 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students at District 88 speak a language other than English at home. District 88’s core values include ensuring all students, staff and community members feel safe, valued, respected and welcome. The “Desayuno Motivacional” and programming offered by the district for Spanish-speaking parents/guardians is one way to accomplish that goal.