Programs

Engaging Communities For College Readiness (ENCORE)

http://www.getencore.org/  

ENCORE will educate communities about the importance of preparing all students for college, work and life. ENCORE will serve as a catalyst for change as it lays the groundwork for mobilization and community engagement in support of college and workforce readiness. It will give communities the tools they need to advocate, support and work with school administrators in the implementation of existing and new reform efforts. ENCORE will develop an advocacy structure that allows a broad constituency to become vocal and active participants in changing public education throughout the RGV.

ENCORE’s overarching mission is to ensure RGV students graduate from high school ready for college, work and life. To accomplish this, increased community involvement and understanding of the college readiness agenda is critical.

ENCORE will achieve its mission by:

1. Raising public awareness regarding the importance of college readiness throughout the RGV;
2. Promoting effective implementation of state-defined college readiness policies at the district and regional level, while creating the enabling conditions that support and complement existing new school development and district transformation work; and
3. Developing active and vocal constituencies in support of schools where all students leave prepared for college, work and life, particularly schools that are part of the Region One ESC High School Redesign Project, the IDEA Public Schools and Early College High School efforts. ENCORE seeks to transform how RGV communities value high school education. How the end game is no longer simply to obtain a high school diploma, but rather an education that prepares students for both post-secondary education and the workforce. The goal is to change attitudes about the importance of completing a rigorous curriculum and about educating all high school students according to a common academic expectation.

ENCORE Career Awareness and Mentorship Program (CAMP)

http://www.getencore.org/  

The Career Awareness & Mentorship Program (CAMP) is a inquiry-based initiative developed by the ENCORE program in partnership with Rio Grande Valley (RGV) school districts to provide students the ultimate college readiness experience.

The ENCORE CAMP program is an inquiry-based initiative offering a broad array of enrichment academic activities to provide students and parents a significant college and career readiness experience. The mission of the ENCORE CAMP is for students and their parents to understand the importance of higher education and college readiness, exposing them to the benefits of a college education and exploring different careers paths in the areas of math, science, engineering and business during nonschool hours. Students are mentored by professional Hispanic role models from across different industries who conduct interactive presentations throughout the ENCORE CAMP experience.

The goals of the ENCORE CAMP are to:

1. Promote the importance of higher education and college readiness to students and parents.
2. Increase student awareness of different careers through interactive activities and mentorship opportunities.
3. Motivate students and parents to work collaboratively with schools in the college readiness process.
4. Provide guidance and support for parents to ensure their children are ready for a college education and future career.<.ol>

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY)

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a parent involvement, school readiness program that helps parents prepare their three, four, and five year old children for success in school and beyond. The parent is provided with a set of carefully developed curriculum, books and materials designed to strengthen their children’s cognitive skills, early literacy skills, social/emotional and physical development.


 

Mission Statement

HIPPY programs empower parents as primary educators of their children in the home and foster parental involvement in school and community life to maximize the chances of successful early school experiences. HIPPY USA supports the development and operation of programs in communities across the United States through ongoing program development and technical assistance informed by research and public policy.

HIPPY helps parents empower themselves as their children’s first teacher by giving them the tools, skills and confidence they need to work with their children in the home. The program was designed to bring families, organizations and communities together and remove any barriers to participation that may include limited financial resources or lack of education.

HIPPY is an international program that started in Israel in 1969 as a research and demonstration project. It has since spread to other countries. Germany, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Canada along with Israel and the United States now comprise HIPPY International. The HIPPY program came to the United States in 1984.

HIPPY USA, located in Little Rock, AR, was established as an independent nonprofit organization in 1988 to promote and guide the development of the HIPPY program in the United States. In the 2006-07 program year, there were 146 HIPPY program sites in 25 states and the District of Columbia, serving over 16,000 children and their families.