AUSTIN (KXAN) — A pilot program at Austin Community College is aiming to help parents in marginalized communities go to college and grow their careers.
The no-cost program, AVANCE to College, will start in August at the ACC South Austin Campus.
For three hours a week, parents will take classes learning about their children’s development and breaking down barriers to continued education. Courses are taught in English and Spanish.
The pilot program is a partnership between ACC and nonprofit AVANCE-Austin, which helps low-income families, predominately Latino, and Workforce Solutions Capital Area.
Amber Kreischer, an instructor for AVANCE to College, said the multigenerational program will bridge a gap in the community. She said some people feel they don’t belong on a college campus or have barriers to higher education because of costs, childcare, language or transportation.
“They’re learning all the different things that help them be mindful of their children’s development while they’re being a parent,” Kreischer said. “And they’re also learning what they can do to advance their own education if they would like to do that.”
More than one in five college students is a parent, according to data from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Of those, about 42% of student parents go to a community college.
The program will help parents take the next steps in their continued education or career — whether it is getting an associate’s degree or taking English classes, she said.
“We want to help them by meeting them where they’re at and seeing ‘What do you need? What do you want to do with your life? How can we support you in that?’” Kreischer said.
While parents take these classes, the children will get early childhood education — removing the childcare barrier for parents who are students. Parents must have a child ages 0-5 to join the program.
Kreischer said the childcare part of the program has “immeasurable benefits for the kids,” because what happens during their first five years will affect them for the rest of their lives.
“When these children are getting the chance to be in an environment with early childhood educators, that is helpful,” she said. “But it’s also helpful because when their parent comes home, every week…they have a parent who can be more reflective about why they’re responding to the child and the way that they’re responding.”
Parents who enroll do not have to be ACC students, but they will automatically be ACC students with the same access as other college students.
People interested in the program can email program.aus@avance.org or visit the program’s website for more information.
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