American Dream Academy

I thought I would use an entry to talk about the organization that my girlfriend works for. She is a program manager for the American Dream Academy (ADA) which is run out of ASU's Center for Community Development and Human Rights. ADA is a parent outreach program that aims to equip parents with the tools they need to get more involved in their children's education. Many parents do not have experience in a formal school environment or come from different countries so they face many barriers from becoming active participants in their children's education. ADA places special emphasis on the importance of obtaining a college degree. ADA has partnered with over 150 schools throughout metro Phoenix. Volunteer facilitators hold classes for groups of parents from each school. Upon completion of the program parents attend a graduation ceremony. Last Friday I was able to attend one of these graduations for the first time and see my girlfriend in action as well as the impact the program has for families. Thew Elementary had about 150 parents participate and graduate from the program, so it was a packed house. My girlfriend was the MC and led the entire event in both Spanish and English - pretty impressive to watch. Parents received their certificates and watched as a procession of their children marched in. Not very many dry eyes in the house. It was a proud day for all, including myself because I was able to see the amazing work that my girlfriend and ADA perform in the community every day.