Hollister
– Preparing a child to go to college can be difficult for any
parent, but for those who have never gone through the experience
themselves the prospect can be particularly daunting.
Hollister – Preparing a child to go to college can be difficult for any parent, but for those who have never gone through the experience themselves the prospect can be particularly daunting.
A new class, called Parent Advocacy, will be offered in Hollister through Gavilan College starting next week. The not-for-credit course is designed to help parents understand how they can aid their children in the transition from high school to college.
Jan Bernstein-Chargin, the director of public information at Gavilan College, said she is excited for this program and more non-credit programs like it that emphasize basic skills.
“We found that for a lot of first-time students it was really important to reach out to parents,” Bernstein-Chargin said. “Students are more successful when their family is able to get behind them.”
The program is specifically designed for the parents of first-generation college students, but all parents are invited to attend. The course focuses on teaching parents to understand and navigate the education system, and emphasizes how parents can provide support to their children.
The six-week course will take place from 6-8pm Mondays starting Monday at the community center at Rancho San Justo Park on Prospect and Park streets. The program is free of charge and is offered in both Spanish and English.
Rachel Perez, the associate dean of non-credit programs at Gavilan who developed the program, said the main goal is to emphasize the importance of higher education to the parents.
“What we hope in the class is that the family can work as a unit to support the individual goals of the students,” Perez said.
Fabio Gonzalez, who taught the course in Gilroy for two semesters, explained that for many parents, the biggest obstacle is understanding that even if they don’t understand the subject matter the student is learning, they can still help their child learn and offer support.
“They need to really understand that ‘even though I don’t know algebra, even though I can’t help them write this essay, I can still prepare a good study environment,'” Gonzalez said.
Even for parents who have previously maneuvered the education system, many of the ins and outs of the system can be difficult to understand. This course teaches parents concrete skills, like how to apply for financial aid and how to understand a grade point average.
“It’s all about learning what kind of resources are available and how to access those,” Perez said. The course also teaches more conceptual subject matter, like how to communicate with your children about their education goals.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. You can reach her at 637-5566 ext. 336 or at [email protected].
