In "At-Risk Students/Educating Parents," Edward Hegstrom writes about a unique program designed to help immigrant students by educating their parents. The program called Parent Academy was designed by the Metropolitan Organization and works by "[encouraging] Spanish-speaking parents to learn more about the public education system so they can better participate in the education of their children," according to Hegstrom. He also highlights one aspect of the program in which immigrant parents, usually from poverty stricken areas of town, are bused to the University of St. Thomas so they can "stroll the campus's book-lined mansions and breathe the air of academic achievement..." The added bonus of the program is that the graduates often become teachers for the next round of parents, thus creating new community leaders.
             From a parent's perspective, the Parent Academy is an excellent idea. It takes less fortunate immigrant parents who would not ordinarily have an opportunity to walk the campus of one of Houston's most prestigious universities, and teaches them how to become involved in their children's education. This is a huge step in the right direction because there is no greater power than a parent with the knowledge and motivation to help their children succeed. Statistics show that children whose parents are involved in their children's education are more likely to be successful. The Parent Academy seems to be the catalyst needed to affect a culture change for immigrant families.
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