LEI Family and Community Engagement Programs

Our Family and Community Engagement programs include the Parent Engagement Navigation services, our brand new Community Health Education program (in initial stages), and Special Community Events. Learn more about all these programs here.

Parent Engagement Navigation Services

Our Parent Engagement Navigation Services provides small- and large-group sessions and workshops known as Cafecito y Cultura to parents/caregivers, empowering them with vital knowledge and skills to effectively navigate through schools and the community. Our aim is to ensure their children’s academic success. Under these services, LEI offers a wide range of support for the general well-being of the whole family, including college and career readiness opportunities for adults, community referrals, parenting strategies, cultural awareness, socio-emotional learning activities, English literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. These programs aim to encourage parents and families to actively engage and explore diverse educational paths for them and to support their children.

“I liked this workshop because I can develop strategies with my children to control their emotions. Personally, I loved the meditation part, I feel different (relaxed, calm). I loved today’s topic a lot.”

– Iliana De Torres

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Community Health Education

We are thrilled to announce that the LEI has received funding from UMASS Memorial for the Promotoras de Salud! This support will help the program achieve several goals over the next 2-3 years, including providing health education in English and Spanish at Worcester Public Schools and community events, promoting healthy eating habits, and increasing access to government assistance for food insecurity.

The Community Health Education initiative focuses on improving the health of Worcester’s Latino community by addressing health disparities and empowering individuals with educational resources. The Promotoras de Salud (Health Promoters) work closely with the community, offering culturally competent health education and linking Latino residents to medical and healthcare services. They engage in activities such as distributing information on nutrition, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health at community events, health clinics, food pantries, and Worcester schools.

They also lead workshops on diabetes and emotional health and organize summer wellness activities like exercise sessions, crafts, and gardening. In partnership with UMASS Chan Medical School, they have deepened their knowledge of diabetes and blood pressure management. From 2020 to 2023, the LEI, in collaboration with the Worcester Division of Public Health and UMASS Memorial Health, worked on the REACH Initiative to address health inequities and improve health outcomes for the Latinx community, including COVID-19 and flu education and vaccination efforts.

“The LEI has helped me greatly to develop skills in numerous areas such as analytics/assessments, program planning/evaluation, communication/public –relations, project management, and cultural/social/language competency.

Certainly, my work has shaped me to become the student and the community advocate I am today!”

—Anabelle Santiago, Health Ambassador