About 40 families from across the district participated in the first-ever Families with Confidence summer camp for migrant parents and students in HISD.

The four-week camp, held at Sam Houston Math, Science & Technology Center, is designed to help families improve communication at home, increase parental involvement at school and create a college-bound culture from a young age.

“The goal is for them to become better parents, so we try to educate the family as a whole,” said Maria Treviño, HISD Parent Engagement specialist.  “A better relationship between the student and the parent results in a better student at school.”

The parents covered a wide range of topics in one room, such as addressing behavioral problems, listening to their children and communicating with teachers.  Meanwhile, the students received corresponding lessons in a separate room to encourage teamwork within the families.

“Just like the parents participated in class, the kids also participated in their own class,” said HISD’s Migrant Program Manager Magda Galindo.  “The students learned how to behave, how to mind their parents, and how to be responsible at home and at school.”

Close to 40 students from all grade levels participated in the camp.  Families attended the camp together twice a week.

The camp culminated with a college fair provided by Teach for America in which all the parents and the students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from numerous colleges and universities.

“The importance of this college fair was to promote a college-bound culture at the family level,” said Treviño.  “We shouldn’t have to wait until they are in high school. We need to start at a young age so they know from early on that they will eventually go to college.”

At the end of the camp, the parents and the students received certificates of completion during their graduation ceremony on June 28.