by Anitra Budd

Family engagement is one of the most important factors in a child’s academic success. The Learning Dreams program achieves this goal by supporting the parents’ involvement in their own educational dreams.

Developed by social work senior fellow Jerry Stein, Learning Dreams is built on the premise that actively supporting a culture of learning in homes and communities creates a foundation for students’ educational success. Stein believes that Learning Dreams deepens more typical parent engagement efforts. “It’s my deep conviction that the current approach to parent involvement—that parents should  help their kids learn—just doesn’t go deep enough. It assumes that parents are comfortable in the culture of learning itself. But many parents aren’t. First they have to experience the love of learning on their own, for themselves, as curious humans.”

In the program, community-based educators provide individual, home-based mentoring to parents, then follow up with support for children’s learning. These educators also act as bridges between families, schools, and community institutions.

The three-year Learning Dreams pilot began in 1996 with 30 families in a Minneapolis public housing community. At the conclusion of the pilot, the truancy rate among children involved in the program was zero, and 100 percent of their parents were involved in the neighborhood school.

Parents’ educational goals have ranged from learning to drive to owning a business that makes hair accessories for children. In any case, a parents’ connection to children’s academic success is undeniable. “We have a mom with four kids who’s motivated to write,” says Stein. “Our neighborhood educator helped her figure out what her dream was, provided the resources to help her get started, and now she’s taking a creative writing class in south Minneapolis. She recently turned to me and said, ‘You know, when my kids say they have homework now, I say, “So do I,” and we sit down together. They used to complain but now they don’t, and we just all work together.’”

Correlations between the program and positive school outcomes have generated significant interest in other communities. The program recently received a $50,000 grant from the Phillips Family Foundation, and Hennepin County also provides financial support.

Learning Dreams has program sites in southeast Minneapolis, north Minneapolis, and Worthington, Minnesota. Queens University in Belfast, North Ireland has created a certificate program in community learning and development based on Stein’s work. A site in Belfast is being considered for next year.

 

Related link

Learning Dreams Web site

PHOTO: istockphoto.com