Edu-Futuro

Emerging leaders programs (elp) the emerging leaders program (elp) works to combat socioeconomic barriers and strengthen the leadership abilities of underserved first-generation college students and youth from immigrant communities in northern Virginia. Our goal is to empower youth, setting high expectations for pursuing postsecondary education and launching successful careers. Using an innovative "pipeline" approach, elp provides long-term support for college and career readiness in four consecutive stages: from after-school stem learning for middle and high school students, to college prep workshops for high school students, to one-on-one mentorship for high school seniors and first-year college students. The elp offers a four-stage pipeline of support for immigrant students in middle school, high school, and college. First, the elp stem/robotics clubs address the minority employment gap in high-growth career fields By helping students in grades 6-8 increase confidence in stem subject areas. Participants meet after school to work through robotics lessons aligned with common core standards, and are introduced to elp i and ii. Second, elp i increases college readiness for students in grades 9-12, allowing them to overcome systemic barriers and achieve their highest potential. Participants attend workshops, are matched with a mentor, participate in speech and academic competitions, visit college campuses, and explore professions through a career panel. Third, elp ii picks up where elp i leaves off, supporting high-school seniors to not only gain acceptance to college, but also ensure that they can afford to graduate with post-secondary degrees and establish careers. Participants receive intensive one-on-one coaching and counseling services through weekly afterschool meetings. Fourth, elp iii focuses on providing intensive mentorship and support for students attending local colleges and universities. The elp mentors play a critical role in helping achieve its mission. Throughout the course of the program, students build aspirations and expectations, develop a life vision, increase their practical knowledge and skill base, and develop a network of people that support them to achieve their dream of attending college. Edu-Futuro has a 'tool kit' of training materials - including facilitator manuals, lesson plans, visual presentations and handouts that can be used for training of trainers and for scaling up future elp and parent leadership trainings across additional local jurisdictions. Summer internships as a complement to our elp programs, in the summer of 2017 Edu-Futuro started offering summer internships for youth who are graduates of the emerging leaders program (elp), in their areas of professional interest through Edu-Futuro's local business partners. The internship opportunities give our leaders the possibility to develop their resume and reference pool, as well as their professional soft skills (including teamwork, communication, reliability, and time management), and hard skills (such as database management, research and analysis, computer literacy, and report writing).

Covid 19 assistance fund in spring 2020 when many people lost their jobs due to the pandemic, edu- Futuro realized that many of its beneficiaries were not receiving needed help. Edu-Futuro applied for and received grants and individual contributions to help families pay for basic necessities - rent, utilities, internet. In response to the disproportionate impact of covid-19 in our community, Edu-Futuro became one of the largest providers of emergency assistance to northern Virginia's immigrant families, providing case management services 1,200 families, and disbursing more than one million in direct financial aid for rent, food, and utilities. We attribute much of our successes to our community support. For example, we provided referrals to the families we serve through the fairfax county department of neighborhood and community services. In addition, we also successfully leveraged thousands of dollars from the department of health services, fairfax county's community provider coordination team, greater Washington community foundation/open society foundations, the human services alliance of greater prince william, arlington thrive, the arlington food assistance center, catholic charities, and many other local safety-net organization partners offering assistance during the pandemic.

Parent empowerment services (pes) Edu-Futuro provides three types of services to parents: 1.parent empowerment services (pes) help parents address issues that may hinder positive family functioning, financial stability, and adaptation to life in the united states. Edu-Futuro's pes programs include curricula, workshops, and individualized services to help immigrant parents navigate the public school system, help their children avoid risky behaviors, and/or rebuild relationships within families that were separated during the immigration process; 2.case management services (cms) assist parents with financial, immigration, and family issues where more complex interventions are required. We responded to the coronavirus pandemic By significantly increasing the resources and personnel dedicated to our cms program. We also created an emergency assistance fund that served to supplement existing aid efforts and provide urgent support to immigrant families who were falling through the cracks of our local safety net; 3.workforce development services (wds) help parents gain the necessary skills to successfully apply for and obtain employment through bilingual computer/smartphone instruction and individual job counseling. Throughout the year, training sessions are organized when parents express the need for instruction on a specific subject. For example, past workshops have focused on english for childcare, resume building, budgeting, and financial aid. The parent programs include: participa en mi educacin (participa) is a course that helps immigrant parents navigate the us and local education system and advocate more effectively for their children's schooling. Currently, Edu-Futuro partners with esol/hilt to offer the participa program to parents of children in various elementary schools and community centers. The strengthening families program (sfp) is a seven-session curriculum designed By Iowa state university, for parents and youth ages 10-14. The program helps parents and youth develop strategies to resist peer pressure that leads to risky behaviors. Parents learn how to supervise their adolescents in a proactive way and stimulate healthy, positive family relationships. Padres comprometidos: a seven-workshop series developed By unidosus and offered for parents and middle and high school students that strengthens school/parent relationships, and helps parents more effectively communicate with their teens and get them "college ready." The program builds the capacity of immigrant parents to acquire the skills they need to effectively engage with schools and play a leading role in preparing their children for college. Immigrant families reunite program (ifrp) is an eight-hour/three-day curriculum created By fairfax county public schools. Edu-Futuro began implementing this program in 2016-17 under a new fairfax county grant. Parents who have come to the united states in pursuit of a better life for their families often must temporarily leave their children behind with relatives until they can arrange to bring them to the united states. The ifpr is designed to help both parents and their children to adjust again as families after separations of often several years.