LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We all want our students to succeed, but the number one way to make that happen may have less to do with our schools and more to do with home life.
When parents are engaged, students have more confidence and perform better at school. That's where Clark County School District's FACES program comes in. The program's whole intent is to help parents plugin.
Veronica Gorrostieta is on a scavenger hunt with her 5-year-old son learning about words and sequencing. They take these classes free at Hummel Elementary School.
"I want him to be prepared for kinder. I want him to learn," Gorrostieta said.
More than 100 classes are offered in English and Spanish all over Clark County through the FACES program, which stands for Family and Community Engagement Services. The best part? Anyone can attend the classes at any of their 10 locations.
Cheryl Davis is the director of FACES.
"Our ultimate goal is to increase student achievement but at the same time also helping families with stability and the greatness that goes on at home," Davis said.
The classes cover everything from academics to navigating CCSD to parenting.
"They taught me things I never even realized. They are mimicking you. I found myself very stressed and I would sometimes blow up. And he was doing the same thing. It opened my eyes to a lot of things," Gorrostieta said.
We popped into a class teaching English to Spanish-speaking adults. All of the classes are designed to strengthen families which boosts student success.
That's why Principal Erica Etienne fought to get the FACES program on her campus.
"We've included FACES in our onboarding. When parents register at our school, we contact FACES, they come up, welcome parents, take them on a tour of the FACES department so they can see the wealth of resources that are available," Etienne said.
Again, all 140 classes are free. Many are offered in libraries and community centers.
More information and a complete list is available here.
