For the past nine years, Grupo CRECER has been working closely with several school districts in Southern California to improve children’s academic outcomes through family strengthening workshops for parents and professional development trainings for school personnel. From parents to principals, participants of the programs report much success towards assuring a higher quality of family life, assertive discipline, and as a result, improved academic success for their children. Grupo Crecer’s series of workshops are designed to enhance parents’ roles in the academic success of their children. Each series of workshops is presented in 8 highly-interactive 2-hour weekly sessions by highly experienced professional educators, psychologists, and mental health professionals.

Our parent education curriculum addresses the social and environmental issues and challenges of families that are predominantly working-class, and whose children have demonstrated a need for increased parent involvement in their academic efforts. It is based on principles of family systems, life span development, and community and school participation towards long-term change. Parents are encouraged to maintain a continuity of participation for all eight sessions of each series, since parenting skills cannot easily be modified or developed by exposure to single sessions. Parents are also encouraged to engage in weekly activities with their families so they can practice the materials and concepts they have discussed.

Each series stresses key messages which include:
-Parents are the primary teachers of their children
-Academic success begins at home
-Academic success includes planning for, entering, and completing college-level education.