Houston, TX—The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, is pleased to announce its “Parents as Partners Symposium,” an all-day bilingual event that seeks to empower parents as advocates for their children. The symposium will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Ripley House Charter School in Houston, TX.

NCLR works with community-based organizations, early care providers, and schools to help low-income, ethnically diverse parents increase their knowledge of the school system and strengthen their ability to advocate for quality education for their children. The goal is to increase high school graduation rates, as well as college readiness and success, for Latino and other minority students.

“Studies have shown again and again that students with families involved in the education process are more likely to earn higher grades, enroll in higher-level programs, attend school regularly, demonstrate better social skills and behavior, graduate, and go on to pursue a college education,” said Richard Farias, Superintendent of the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success, a Houston-based charter school participating in the symposium.

The symposium is being conducted with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Marathon Oil Corporation, based in Houston.

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