Education Summit Teaches Families
Alma Campos
Published: October 27, 2009
The Pilsen Education Task Force, organized by Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, hosted its 3rd Annual Pilsen Education Summit last Saturday at Benito Juarez High school. This free, family event brought together parents and their children to take advantage of various workshops intended to promote the importance of education. The broad set of workshops addressed key topics such as how to apply for financial aid, change in immigration laws, teen violence prevention, career placement services, healthy living, self-defense and family issues.
The goal of the summit each year is to create a path of education for area residents from birth through college, as well and to make all local residents aware of the educational resources available in Pilsen. "What makes this event unique is our intent to create lasting relationships with parents that attend," says Martha Monrroy, the principal at Cooper Dual Language Academy and the chair of the Summit. "Our message is that this event will not end when families walk out the door on October 24th.”
The Summit was organized in collaboration with members of the subcommittee of the Pilsen Planning Committee, comprising of schools, community-based organizations, colleges and universities, as well as parents working to enhance communication between schools and parents.
Despite some of the challenges that Pilsen faces, it has begun to emerge as Chicago’s ethnic neighborhood of choice, home to thriving churches, community organizations and local businesses. This rich cultural and organizational base has led Pilsen’s residents to take a number of leadership roles in community improvement efforts at the local and city-wide level and the community continues to build upon its strengths to achieve educational success.
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