Parental · Case study
Harbor District Parent Academy
A bilingual six-week cohort that lifted family-event attendance by 3x.
- Partner
- Harbor District public schools
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic region
- Duration
- Six weeks · Fall and Spring cohorts
- Reach
- 84 caregivers · 6 elementary schools
Outcomes
84
caregivers across two cohorts
3x
increase in family-event attendance
91%
completion rate
6
elementary schools represented
The challenge
Harbor District had run parent workshops for years with steady but small turnout. They wanted to move from one-off events to a cohort experience that built confidence, relationships, and a sense of belonging among caregivers — especially for Spanish-speaking families who were under-represented in school life.
What we built
- 1
Designed a six-week curriculum covering literacy at home, navigating school systems, advocating for your child, and building a parent network.
- 2
Ran every session in fully bilingual format with two facilitators, not translation. Spanish was a first language of the room, not an accommodation.
- 3
Paired every caregiver with a buddy in their school for the duration of the cohort.
- 4
Closed each cohort with a graduation event where caregivers presented one thing they were committing to as advocates for their child.
What changed
We knew the curriculum mattered, but the relationships are what made this stick. Buddies showed up at each other's parent-teacher conferences. Cohort alumni now run the welcome table at back-to-school nights.
The bilingual design wasn't a logistics decision — it was a culture decision. Spanish-speaking caregivers told us this was the first school program where they didn't feel like they were getting a translated version of the real thing.
Three of the graduates have since been elected to school site councils. Two are running for the district parent advisory board this year.
"I came in thinking I was going to learn how to help with homework. I left running for a seat on our school council."
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