AVANCE’S Head Start Parent Conference: Strong
Families.. Successful Children
For Immediate Release: March 29 2010, Houston Texas:
AVANCE held its annual Head Start Parent
conference on Saturday March 27 at the Crown
Plaza hotel. Nearly 250 parents of the agency’s
Head Start program gathered to participate in a
variety of educational workshops and listen to
the empowering messages from influential
community leaders.
The theme was “Strong Families..Successful
Children” and that's exactly the key message
that was delivered to the parents. Constable
Victor Treviño opened the ceremony by thanking
all the parents for making their children's
education a priority. "As parents we should
empower our little ones to succeed and dream,
and if they trip and fall help them pick
themselves back up and never give up" he
said.
Later the parents attended the workshops which covered topics such as: tips
for better parenting, children and the
environment, simple home repairs, child’s brain
development, stranger danger, substance abuse
among others.
Upon reconvening the parents were then greeted
by former councilmember Gracie Saenz, and
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee who have
continuously supported AVANCE's early childhood
education programs. The congresswoman presented
a check of 285K on behalf of the US department
of education to be used to serve the agency's
programs, and expressed that she will continue
to support these programs.
Former Globe Trotter champion and Eisenhower
high school graduate, now motivational speaker
Melvin Adams delighted the audience with a
variety of ball tricks and then wrapped up the
evening with an important message to the fathers
“it is important that you too, take control
and the responsibility of engaging profoundly in
your children's education, and always remind
them that you love them” he said.
The local agency Veggie Pals, which specializes
in children’s health and fitness also joined and
shared important nutritional information with
the parents.
The goal of this conference was to encourage,
inspire, strengthen parents and remind them that
strong families lead to successful children.
“AVANCE believes the home is the child’s first
classroom, and that the parent is the child’s
first teacher” said Jose Villarreal AVANCE’s
executive director
Since 1988, AVANCE-Houston has served more than
30,000 children and their parents through
comprehensive, community-based education
programs. In partnership with other agencies,
AVANCE offers programs in 17 centers throughout
greater Houston.
AVANCE’s mission is to unlock America’s
potential by strengthening families in at risk
communities through the most effective parenting
education and support programs
