For the last four years, a group of multilingual families have come together four times a year to discuss and plan events to help their kids. One key topic of discussion is aiding their children in a smooth transition to college, as many are first-generation students. 

“We know that a school doesn’t just stand alone with our students,” Bilingual Coordinator Julie Jacobo said. “It’s our parents that help to make sure that everything we offer is what their students need from us in our community.” 

Other key discussions from the parent advisory committee are different workshops for students to access and different types of resources LT has to offer. The discussion helps the parents understand, and they can also add their takes. 

“We make sure that [the parents] can voice any kind of suggestions that they have regarding the education of their children,” Jacobo said. 

In Illinois, high schools are required to establish a parent advisory committee and implement multilingual (ML) programs. This state mandate helps build connections between families, schools, and the community. Furthermore, it fosters a sense of belonging for both multilingual parents and students.

“[Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee’s] (BPAC) goal is always to make sure that we’re removing any barriers for multilingual families, while also supporting and bridging that they also have the opportunities to participate in their students’ education,” Jacobo said.

The BPAC also has student leaders. Currently, there are 15 students at both SC and NC who assist other students in enhancing their college resumes, for example. Some roles that student leaders have include sharing their experiences at LT and giving new families a tour of the campus buildings. 

“It’s so important to have student leaders and student voices in what the BPAC addresses,” Language Arts Division Chair Karen Raino said. 

Before Jacobo came to LT, Raino helped run the BPAC. She also worked alongside Assistant Language Arts Division Chair Toby Casella to help run the BPAC and give parents a voice in their child’s educaiton.

“[Jacobo] has been far more successful at increasing the participation of families,” Raino said. “It was hard to get families to commit to coming to the meetings, but [Jacobo] did a really good job in getting more families to come to the meetings.” 

The BPAC’s last meeting was on April 15, and they discussed the transition to next year’s classes, including scheduling. The meeting’s main focus was to help parents understand the LT school system so they feel connected to the school. 

“It’s not just multilingual families,” Jacobo said. “If somebody only [speaks] English or only [speaks]  another language, we still welcome them. We want a collaboration with all our community.”