Want to know what your child should be learning in kindergarten? Hunting for a list of age-appropriate books? Afraid your daughter is being bullied but don’t know how to ask?
Head over to Univision’s new bilingual Web-based parent engagement platform, Clave al Éxito (Key to Success) — “a complete guide to your child’s education.”
The program launched in May and has garnered over 200,000 unique page views and more than 8,300 subscribers, said Mayra Quiroz, a web producer for the project. This month, it’s highlighted in the Hispanic OutlooK-12 Magazine for giving Hispanic parents a voice in their children’s education.
Research shows family involvement is an important contributor to students’ academic success and completion – the most accurate predictor being how much a student’s family encourages learning. And while Hispanic students are less likely than white students to have parents who attend school events or volunteer their time at school, it’s not for lack of interest. Some parents see language and their own levels of education as barriers for getting involved.
Clave al Éxito can help lower those barriers and enable parents who may be unfamiliar with the American school system to feel more empowered.
Among the most impressive interactive tools on the website is the Parent Communicator, an email service that automatically translates messages between parents and teachers into the user’s preferred language. Also, Clave al Éxito features Grade Guides aligned with the Common Core standards that detail what students should be learning at each grade level, from preschool to high school.
There’s a Parent Academy section, where parents can watch dramatized modules, or “mini-novelas,” to learn the basics of getting involved — lessons like how to speak to a teacher, dealing with test-taking anxiety and the importance of broadband access, Quiroz said. The site also provides information on English-language learners and students with learning disabilities, and tips for parents on how to help these students meet their educational goals.
Univision launched Clave al Éxito as part of it’s long-running, award-winning education initiative, Univision Contigo. Last month, the network pledged $7 million over the next five years to continue growing the platform and was recognized for its efforts by the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics during its Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
