AVANCE Welcomes 152 Families to Spring Parent Summit in Pasadena

AVANCE welcomed 152 parents and children to its Spring Parent Summit, Together We Grow! On March 28, 2026, demonstrating strong family engagement across our community. Hosted at Kruse Early Head Start, the event marked an important milestone as the summit expanded to a Pasadena, TX location.

The Spring Parent Summit is designed to equip parents and caregivers with practical tools to ning-rich home environment while strengthening the parent-child bond. As a two-generation (2Gen) organization, AVANCE remains focused on empowering families through shared learning experiences.

“Learning, connection, and family time—this summit brought it all together,” — Kristie Mireles, Sr. Director II of EHS/HS Programs.

Families participated in hands-on activities that supported school readiness, emotional well-being, and family engagement. Literacy activities introduced families to AVANCE’s Avanzando Juntos parenting initiative, where parents and children created a “Five Senses” book to encourage language development and interactive storytelling. With support from AVANCE Education Coaches, families explored creativity through tissue paper-stained-glass ornaments.

Nutrition education was led by the University of Houston BOUNCE Program, which shared information on healthy food access and hosted a live recipe demonstration with a family tasting. AVANCE’s Mental Health and Disabilities team introduced simple breathing techniques to support emotional regulation, while a gardening activity taught families basic skills and included a take-home planter to continue learning at home. Children also enjoyed an egg hunt that encouraged active play and motor skill development.

The day was made even more memorable with special appearances by the AVANCE Houston Bunny and the Chick-fil-A Cow, bringing extra joy to young learners. To further encourage learning at home, nine age-appropriate LeapFrog educational toys were raffled to participating families to continue learning through play.

AVANCE hosts Parent Summits twice a year, guided by parent feedback and program data. Families left with simple ideas to support learning at home and celebrate the Week of the Young Child (April 11–17)—a national event recognizing early learning and the role of families.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our families, partners, vendors, and dedicated AVANCE staff, whose commitment continues to bring AVANCE Houston’s mission to life.