Community Schools
Enlace partners with public schools to transform them into safe, accessible community centers. Community Schools provide wrap-around family programming that promotes academic achievement, skill building, socio-emotional learning and leadership development. Programming and services for both youth and adults focus on a wide range of topics, including academic acceleration and intervention; summer youth employment and internships; performing, visual arts and cultural enrichment; healthy living and physical activity; mental and behavioral health; and immigration. Community School program development at each school is guided by an Advisory Council that includes students, parents, school staff, partners and other stakeholders.
Partnering elementary schools include:
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Eli Whitney Elementary School
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Lázaro Cardenas Elementary School
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Madero Middle School
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McCormick Elementary School
Partnering high schools include:
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Farragut Career Academy
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Little Village Lawndale High School Campus, which includes:
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Greater Lawndale School of Social Justice
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Infinity Math, Science and Technology High School
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Multicultural Arts School​
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World Language High School
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Enlace's AVANZA program creates a college going culture in Little Village, addressing the need for individualized attention that undocumented and first-generation college students face. Postsecondary Coaches work closely with students to create post-secondary plans. They are stationed at the high schools so that they can develop strong ties to students, monitor their academic progress and post-secondary planning, and maintain close relationships with school staff and post-secondary partners. They provide support with essay writing, recommendation letter requests, FAFSA completion, scholarship applications, financial planning, internship referrals and academic support referrals. They collaborate with school administrators, teachers, college counselors, higher education institutions and other partners; connect students with Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation courses; organize visits to colleges and universities; and facilitate workshops for parents.
Enlace provides AVANZA programming at the following schools:
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Community Links High School
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Farragut Career Academy
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Little Village Lawndale High School Campus, which includes:
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Greater Lawndale School of Social Justice
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Infinity Math, Science and Technology High School
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Multicultural Arts School
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World Language High School
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In 2012, Enlace joined an initiative to expand the Parent Mentor Program for Early Childhood Learning initiated by Logan Square Neighborhood Association more than 20 years ago. In this model, parent leaders are assigned to a classroom where they work with students in need of individualized attention. The program has led to important outcomes for student success, and has broken down barriers to parental engagement. Forty-seven hours of leadership training complement the classroom component and encourage parents to take leadership at home, in school, in their community, and in connection to broader advocacy and organizing initiatives.
Parent Mentors support teachers and students at these schools:
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Eli Whitney Elementary School
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Gerald Delgado Kanoon Elementary Magnet School
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John Spry Community School
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Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Elementary School
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Little Village Academy
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Madero Middle School
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McCormick Elementary School
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Telpochcalli Elementary School
Parent and student leadership development is essential to the work of the education team. Through the Parent Mentor Program, Parent Leaders for College and the Social Emotional Learning Train-the-Trainer initiative, parents increase their ability to support their children and function as peer mentors for other Little Village parents. Leadership development is a required element of Community Schools youth program curriculum, and the College Passport Initiative nurtures student voice, civic engagement and college readiness. Parents and students are supported in joining school-based leadership bodies, such as Community Schools Advisory Boards, Student Councils, Local School Councils, Bilingual Committees and Parent Teacher Associations. Many parent and student leaders, including those connected to the Dreamers Unidos Scholarship Fund, have engaged in policy advocacy focused on increasing educational resources in low-income communities of color, increasing community influence in decision-making about schools and increasing educational access for undocumented students. Finally, the Little Village Education Collaborative (LVEC) convenes a diverse group of education stakeholders in Little Village in order to collectively promote policy and systems change. For more information about LVEC’s work, click here.
For more information about the Dreamers Unidos Scholarship Fund, click here.
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For more information about the Enlace Leadership Academy, click here.