United Way receives $50,000 grant for plan to increase parental involvement

Getting more parents engaged in their child's education will be the goal of a grant-funded initiative through the United Way of Southeast Missouri.

"For every family there's a different story, but we have to find out what are the most common barriers or obstacles," said Nancy Jernigan, executive director.

A $50,000 grant will fund a plan to increase parent involvement the Cape Girardeau School District. The United Way of Southeast Missouri was one of 15 sites nationwide to receive a Family Engagement for High School Success grant from AT&T and United Way Worldwide. The funds will go toward the United Way's LIFE Initiative, which funds programs in Cape Girardeau and Jackson schools.

In Cape Girardeau, the LIFE Initiative funds tutoring at the Family Resource Center for elementary students. It also funds programs at the junior high school and transportation for the middle school's after-school tutoring program, Cub Club.

Many of the problems students face stem from problems at home, Jernigan said. Sometimes parents do not know how to get involved in their child's education or do not have the resources to help, she said.

"It's not all about going to parent-teacher conferences," she said.

The goal of the plan will be to increase participation in the LIFE Initiative's education programs for parents.

The grant, which continues until May, will fund a community outreach position to improve parent relationships. There will also be a push to collect data.

"There will be a lot of meetings and conversations with parents, teachers and administrators," she said.

Since it started during the 2005-2006 school year, participation in the LIFE Initiative has increased from 86 students to 175 during the 2008-2009 school year. The number of involved parents has also increased from 36 to 252 during that time. During the last school year 45 percent of involved students also improved their grade point average.

The goals of the study also tie into broader initiatives within the school district.

Increasing parent involvement is a concept that is gaining traction as church, school and other community leaders work to improve local graduation rates. The United Way's Education Solutions Team began meeting in February to develop a plan to help at-risk students in Cape Girardeau. The group will meet again Jan. 19.

In September, the organization also launched a volunteer program at the junior high school to increase community involvement in the school system. The organization is working with the Volunteer Intergenerational Center to recruit a volunteers for the program, which include three opportunities -- morning greeters, lunch buddies and after-school homework assistants.

"We haven't had a lot of response," she said of the new program.

With United Way's revamped website, which will be launched next week, Jernigan said there will be a bigger push to fill United Way volunteer positions, including those at the junior high.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Does this affect you?

Have a comment?

Log on to semissourian.com

Pertinent address:

430A Broadway Cape Girardeau, MO

301 N. Clark Ave. Cape Girardeau, MO