Legal and Community Solutions
Legal Services of Northern California Education Empowerment Project - 040012
Abstract Number: 040012
February 2004
Legal Services of Northern California launched the Education Empowerment Project: Legal and Community Solutions to deliver legal information and services on education issues to parents, students, and educators in Yolo County, California. Coordinated by an Equal Justice Works Fellow, this project seeks to empower parents, students and educators through a two-pronged approach that provides direct services to parents and students as well as a public education component offered through the local school system.
The project coordinator works directly with administrators, educators, parents, and students to ensure the Yolo County public (K-12) school system are following due process in disciplinary and administrative proceedings. This includes working on a range of issues such as gang profiling, expulsion rates, drop out rates, and ensuring that students are not wrongfully denied bilingual education waivers.
The second component of this project focuses on facilitating public education forums to ensure that parents know their rights and responsibilities. Working in tandem with the school the district, the project coordinator offers a series of family education forums on issues of importance to parents such as financial aid for higher education, high school graduation requirements, and student and parental legal rights and responsibilities. By partnering with the school district, these public education forums are attendance-friendly by offering free childcare (learning focused), free food, and school-sponsored publicity for the events.
In addition to public education events, the project coordinator also works with school committees and local nonprofit organizations that are working on similar issues. In particular, English Learner Advisory Committees (at various school sites), the Sacramento Valley Organizing Community, and the University of California at Davis have provided additional opportunities for this project to reach out into Yolo County communities. Through the efforts of this project, parents receive the information they need to be strong advocates for their children in the school system, resulting in higher academic achievement. To learn more about the Education Empowerment Project: Legal and Community Solutions read a recent newspaper article about assistance provided by this project or contact the project coordinator.
Contact Information:
Rogelio Villagrana
Legal Services of Northern California
619 North Street
Woodland, CA 95695
Phone: (530) 662-1065
Fax: (530) 662-7941
rvillagrana@lsnc.net
Additional Information:
Updated 2008
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