PRESS RELEASE – **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
Los Angeles, CA – Innovate Public Schools, a prominent power-building organization, has been highlighted by Bellwether for its outstanding efforts and commitment to building parent power. The recognition underscores the vital role that informed and engaged parents play in fostering positive change in education and community development.
“We’re just scratching the surface in terms of research, and what it’s telling us for our children and what recovery actually looks like in particular for black and brown children across the United States,” said Innovate CEO Michelle Vilchez during the Building Parent Power webinar series Bellwether held in August.
Bellwether is a nonprofit that partners with leaders and organizations across the education sector — from school districts to charter management organizations and foundations to nonprofits — to deepen and accelerate their impact, and to develop and amplify the insights, innovations, and ideas necessary to move our sector forward. The nonprofit’s Building Parent Power webinar series showcases examples of organizations, like Innovate, that are making effective change in education by building parent power. Vilchez spoke about the need for parent power building organizations in the series.
“So, the idea of building more organizers across the United States, expanding the opportunity for multi-ethnic democracy and leaders who can really lead and their efforts in their local communities and schools, is really something that we want to be a part of and continue to to strive for,” said Innovate CEO, Michelle Vilchez.
At the heart of Innovate’s mission lies the concept of building parent power. This groundbreaking approach emphasizes the importance of parents not only being actively involved but also knowledgeable about the resources available to them. Through education and engagement, parents become catalysts for positive change, driving improvements in education systems and community growth.
Innovate’s dedication to fostering parent power has yielded remarkable outcomes. The organization’s emphasis on developing parent leaders by sharing knowledge, resources, and a sense of ownership has led to increased community engagement, improved educational experiences, especially for Black and Brown students, and a more vibrant learning environment.
“We coordinate meaningful community actions and events and this is also true within our regions and we want to share that good news with others and we are really excited and feel that this is an opportunity and a time for us to continue to build organizers across the United States,” said Vilchez.
Innovate’s commitment to organize in building parent power is evident in its comprehensive approach. By prioritizing parent involvement, the organization supports families to actively shape educational programs and community initiatives. Through collaborative efforts, Innovate has managed to uplift parent power, creating a positive cycle of involvement that benefits everyone.
Visual evidence of Innovate’s success is showcased through a series of powerful images from the Jose Arenas Parent Leadership Institute. These images vividly capture the transformation that occurs when parents are actively engaged in their communities. From volunteer-led workshops to collaborative decision-making, the Jose Arenas Parent Leadership Institute photos portray a compelling story of positive change driven by informed and passionate parents.
Innovate’s recognition for uplifting parent power stands alongside other remarkable organizations, such as GO Public Schools, Kids First Chicago, and PAVE, that share the same commitment to fostering positive change through community engagement. The combined efforts of these organizations underscore the importance of involving parents in shaping the future of education and community development.
“Partnership with other non-profit organizations and other parents power building organizations is really critical it’s in order for us not as only a singular organization to be pushing against the system or to building the capacity of our parent leaders to push against that system it is more powerful when there are three, four or five organizations within that particular community and region that are building out parent leaders and parent organizations to push against that same system so it’s going to take a lot more than just one or two organizations so that’s why we’re just so excited to be in partnership,” Vilchez said.
You can watch the full recordings here.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jazmine Rodriguez
Communications Manager
Innovate Public Schools
For more information about Innovate and its initiatives, visit https://innovateschools.org/
Innovate Public Schools represents more than a thousand parents across California, including low-income parents of color, parents of English learners, and parents of students with special needs, who are collectively advocating for their children’s education.