Scholarship Resources

PARENT SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP (PSP) PROGRAM Parent School Partnership (PSP) Program Since 1989, MALDEF's Parent School Partnership (PSP) Program has trained thousands of parents and community leaders throughout the nation to become agents of change in their communities. The 12-session PSP program provides parents with the tools necessary to become more effective advocates in improving their children's educational success, their schools, and their communities. Bring PSP to Your School MALDEF currently offers PSP programs in the greater Los Angeles area in California and in Atlanta, Georgia. MALDEF's PSP Training Manual and Curriculum MALDEF provides Train-the-Trainer workshops to groups that want to provide the Parent School Partnership (PSP) Program to parents in their communities. MALDEF staff provide training that prepares community leaders throughout the nation to become MALDEF PSP educators. The PSP program provides all of the tools necessary to launch classes for parents in communities, including handouts and templates for reproduction. Parents' Rights and Responsibilities Education is essential to the development of every child and for the progress of every community. In the United States, every child is entitled to a free high-quality K-12 public education regardless of race, nationality, native language, gender, or immigration status, without fear of unlawful discrimination or fear of deportation. Contact Us For more information on MALDEF's PSP programs and training information, please contact the office nearest you. For general matters, please contact our National PSP Program Office.     About the Parent School Partnership (PSP) Program Since 1989, thousands of parents have successfully completed MALDEF's Parent School Partnership (PSP) Program and now work with others to accomplish significant projects to improve our schools. Parents are our nation's best hope for ensuring that public schools educate and prepare well our future national leaders and contributors to community progress. PSP graduates join a growing cadre of PSP alumni nationwide who are helping to lead the effort to reform public schools. By attending a free 12-session program, participants learn how to overcome language and cultural barriers, gain an in-depth understanding of their rights, their children's rights, advocacy tools and approaches, and how the American public education system works. As a central experience of the program, participants develop group projects ranging from school clean-ups to community advocacy to ensure progress toward a just and equitable education that prepares all students for college and career. Parents make a great contribution to our national progress when they demonstrate a commitment to their children's success and to improving public education for all children. Join and become a leader in this ongoing effort! Bring PSP to Your School and Become a Trainer MALDEF currently offers PSP programs in the greater Los Angeles area and in Atlanta, Georgia. If your school or community organization meets outside of these areas, please see the details on the Train the Trainers Program below. There is no fee for the PSP program within the areas mentioned above, but MALDEF requires the following:

• A signed agreement to implement the program at your school or organization
• Assistance promoting the program at your school or community site
• A classroom-like facility for all workshops
• A minimum of 25 participants to begin the program
• A secured time and location for the classes
• Child care and translation throughout the duration of program, if needed
• A liaison to coordinate program logistics with MALDEF staff as needed (e.g., secure guest speakers, obtain transportation to program activities, assist with graduation)
• Notification of any changes such as cancellations, room changes, etc.

Once classes begin, we meet with parents once a week for two hours. As part of some classes, we invite guest speakers, such as teachers, a principal, a board member, a high school counselor, an elected official, or a reporter. Other classes involve a field trip to a local university, a library and/or a school board meeting. Throughout the program, parents also work on a group project to identify an area of potential improvement within their school or community, and then create an action plan to achieve progress. MALDEF Train the Trainer Program A formal PSP program presentation conducted by PSP staff is a required prerequisite to launch a “training of trainers” program. MALDEF's PSP team will gather extensive research highlighting your community's infrastructure and demographics. This will enable MALDEF staff to assess the needs in the schools and the community, and to make recommendations for a trainers’ program. In addition, this serves as an opportunity to meet community members and determine the feasibility of delivering the program to your community. For details regarding bringing a Train the Trainer program to your organization, please contact Kevin Alcantar, PSP Program Associate, at (213) 629-2512 x103.   Parents’ Rights and Responsibilities Education is essential to the development of every child and for the progress of every community. Every child is entitled to a free high-quality K-12 public education regardless of race, nationality, native language, gender, or immigration status without fear of unlawful discrimination or threat of deportation. To be effective student advocates, parents must understand their rights and assume responsibility in their children’s educational progress. To learn about the specific federal and state education rights available to all students and their families, please click here. When Exercising Your Rights It is recommended that before exercising your rights as a parent, you should:

• Have a clear understanding of your rights.
• Be clear in communicating what information you are requesting from school officials.
• Be assertive when communicating. To learn more about positive assertive behavior, click here.
• Use a direct, non-aggressive tone of voice.
• Be persistent and try again if the initial contact was unsuccessful.
• Consider writing a formal letter or email (English, Spanish) to voice your concerns.

It is essential that parents become informed of their rights and responsibilities to be effective school partners and education advocates. Although not all interactions between parents, teachers, and school officials will go as each party wants, all need to strive to collaborate with one another to improve educational outcomes for children. Related Information Related Information Sample Letter – English Sample Letter – Spanish Effective Communication Handout – English Effective Communication Handout – Spanish Know Your Rights Pamphlet Derechos Educativos Federales Folleto     YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM The Youth Leadership Program (YLP) was established in 2005 as an innovative leadership training program for high school students designed to promote college access and introduce civic participation. The goal of YLP’s year-round programming is to increase high school graduation rates and college admissions for Latinos, and foster greater public engagement. Our program is centered on supporting our most vulnerable Latino students through various Restorative Cultural Arts Practice projects.  YLP participants have worked on a variety of projects, including one tracing the history of MALDEF’s civil rights work in the Latino community, a student-centered radio program sharing the personal stories of college applicants, a writing project to examine implicit bias in schools, and a mural project to address food injustice at highly-segregated schools. For more information on YLP, contact Omar Ramirez, (213) 629-2512 x137.   The Parent School Partnership would like to thank the following sponsors: United Way of Greater LA,   Sodexo,  McDonald’s, the Wells Fargo Foundation and Union Bank    Contact Us For more information on MALDEF's PSP programs and training information, please click on the office located nearest you to send a message. For general matters, please contact our National PSP Program Office. National PSP & Train the Trainer Program Office 634 S. Spring St., 11th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90014 Phone: (213) 629-2512 National Parent School Partnership Program Adrian Sandoval, National PSP Director Kevin Alcantar, PSP Program Associate Los Angeles PSP Program Karen Oliva, Director 634 S. Spring St., 11th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90014 Phone: (213) 629-2512 x162 Atlanta PSP Program Office Isabel Sance, Director Phone: (470) 878-0785