Hispanic Parent-Child Education Program reaches out via social media during MSNBC's Live Special

Aug. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- San Antonio, TX  by John Michael Johnson, Communications Specialist

AVANCE, Inc. participated in an online conversation Sunday, August, 14th during the second annual MSNBC Special A Stronger America – Making the Grade. Members of the AVANCE, Inc. National Staff spent two consecutive hours tweeting and commenting on Facebook while watching the Making the Grade Special. By participating on Twitter and Facebook, AVANCE, Inc. further developed the already robust education conversation taking place on TV and shared thoughts with concerned Americans across the nation.

The Making the Grade Special was part of a week-long MSNBC initiative, A Stronger America, which highlighted various education topics including early childhood development, higher education, teacher performance, parent and community involvement, and economics. MSNBC organized the event with support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and invited multiple education experts to take part in the discussion.  Sharlonda Buckman, Executive Director of Detroit’s Parent Network and one of the experts on the show explained, “Parents strongly desire quality education for their children, and we have to meet that with support”. Buckman’s compassionate attitude toward parent involvement is shared by AVANCE, Inc., and it is encouraging that the importance of parents being their child’s first teachers was expressed on this national stage.

The Making the Grade Special was a positive conversation for those concerned with the education system in our nation, unfortunately it did not emphasize the importance of parent-child education and family support services. Kristin-Rudy Martinez commented on AVANCE Inc.’s Facebook status in support of early education saying, “Disappointed with coverage on early ed issue. Thank you AVANCE for making it a priority for the underserved in our communities.” Only two brief sections of the show focused on early childhood education and parent involvement, while the majority of the show focused on teachers, higher education, and economics.

Parent-child education and family support services resolve education problems by providing support and education in the beginning of life, rather than waiting for bad habits to develop and lost opportunities to occur. Over the next year AVANCE, Inc. will work hard to bring the issue of early childhood education and parental involvement into the forefront of national media. Social networking is one way AVANCE, Inc. will expand the education dialogue and discover new ways to empower communities across the nation. To continue the dialogue you can join AVANCE, Inc. on Twitter @AVANCEinc and @uapproject, and on Facebook pages AVANCE, Inc. and Unlocking America’s Potential Project.

The Next Big Thing
NBC News’ Education Nation Summit the week of September, 25th will bring policy makers, academic experts, teachers, parents, and others together to continue the education dialogue. Education programming will air on many of NBC’s affiliate channels during the week and culminate with the summit in New York, NY.

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Unlocking America’s potential by strengthening families in at-risk communities through effective parent education and support programs. AVANCE is one of the odlest and most distingusished parenting-early chilhood programs in the the country.