Dallas, TX - Jan 27, 2012 – update
AVANCE, Inc. was honored on January 26th at the 2012 Simmons Luminary Awards by the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development for pioneering new means of improving children’s education.

AVANCE received the award along with Joan Ganz Cooney, Sesame Workshop and the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers. The awards are given to individuals or agencies that have created evidence-based research and innovative programs, which served as longtime models for improving education, encouraging hope in communities and strengthening at-risk communities.

The Simmons School established the Luminary Award in 2009 to recognize individuals and organizations that have invested large amounts of time and resources into education as a tool of empowerment.  

AVANCE is a non-profit that provides a Parent-Child Education Program to predominantly low income Hispanic families. The program aids parents in becoming actively involved with their children’s development and is a model for parent-child outreach programs across the nation.

“It was a night filled with inspiring highlights of all three Luminary Awardees educational programs. The proudest moment, however, was when one of our own AVANCE parent graduates, Mildred Garcia, shared her experience in the Parent-Child Education Program,” explained Dr. Glendelia Zavala, AVANCE Chief Program Officer, “It brought tears to many attendees who went up to Mildred after the program was over to congratulate her.”                        

In an emotional testimony, Mildred shared with the audience about being the first generation in her family to attend college and how AVANCE saved her family, “I cannot imagine where my family would be now, because our previous past was on a completely opposite path. Thank you AVANCE for impacting my family’s future.”

Olga Llamas Rodriguez, Vice Chair of the AVANCE National Board of Directors, accepted the Luminary Award. Rodriguez said the AVANCE program works because it educates both the parent and child. “Everyday our educators work tirelessly and it is very gratifying to know their hard work is being recognized. I share this recognition with them and the thousands of families we serve. I especially want to share this award with our Dallas Chapter; with AVANCE-Dallas Former Executive Director, Lisa Olgesby; her staff and the Dallas Board of Directors. This recognition would not have been possible without their tireless efforts,” said Rodriguez, “We will cherish this recognition from the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at SMU as it exemplifies the importance of what AVANCE does.”
                                                                     
AVANCE is one of the oldest, largest and most distinguished parenting/early education programs in the country. Since 1973, AVANCE has continued to provide innovative education and family support services to predominantly Hispanic families in underprivileged communities. Dedicated to promoting school readiness and supporting family engagement, AVANCE proudly serves as the national model and best practice of early childhood education for parents, teachers, the scientific community and general public.

SMU is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, SMU enrolls nearly 11,000 students who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.

Children’s educational television was a new concept in 1968 when the Children’s Television Workshop created “Sesame Street,” a television show designed to help children prepare for school. The program now teaches children throughout the world, most recently with a new presence in Afghanistan.

The Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Services has served Dallas children since 1920, opening its first camp for orphans in 1921. Since then the organization has provided residential and community programs specializing in education and therapeutic services to at-risk children and their families. The club in 1997 opened the J. Erik Jonsson Community School, a researched-based laboratory school for at-risk children in Oak Cliff.

AVANCE presenters: Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala, Magdalena G. Santos, and Jennifer Flores from AVANCE, Inc. in San Antonio, TX, introduced the agency’s current project, Unlocking America’s Potential, which is designed to adapt the signature parent child program for African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics of non-mexican origin.

The workshop also featured the AVANCE Toy-Making component of the PCEP. 
A  dozen of the 100 attendees were chosen to make hand-puppets.  The activity is used as a technique for parents to develop socialization skills, share and use the toys they’ve made as teaching opportunities with their children.  One participant said, “I wish I had not spent $20 on a puppet toy I bought earlier, I should have waited, my child will like this one I made way better.”  Many attendees commented on how this session was the only one where they got to apply what they learned on a hands on activity.

Dr. Zavala was elated at the turn out and pleased with the response from the attendees, ” We had such a good turnout and there were quite a few who were eager to learn more about AVANCE.  Many wanted more information about how to incorporate the PCEP into their own communities.  This was a tremendous success and it gives us an opportunity to share and network with others.”

More ABOUT Zero to Three
ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. ZERO TO THREE’s National Training Institute (NTI) is the premier conference for professionals dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of infants and toddlers.

More ABOUT AVANCE, Inc.
AVANCE, Inc. offers an early intervention program to parents with children 0 to 3 years of age.
This evidence-based program model is preventative, community-based and two-generation focused.

Since 1973, AVANCE has provided innovative education and family support services to predominantly Hispanic families in low-income, high-need communities.  What began in a 500-unit public housing development serving 35 families in San Antonio has expanded to more than 140 program sites serving thousands of families across Texas, California and New Mexico and seven additional states as part of the expansion project.

The free, nine month curriculum consists of weekly parent education classes and home visits with special topics which recognize the great importance of reading, effective discipline and a well-balanced nutrition.

The comprehensive Parent-Child Education Program promotes community economic development, positive parenting skills and behaviors, school readiness, parental school involvement, adult education, and civic engagement for a simultaneous impact on both the parent and child. The program has improved the school readiness of children and has had a strong impact on Latino families through partnerships with community-based organizations.  AVANCE was recognized this past May by Hispanic Business Magazine for the fourth consecutive year as one of the “Top 25 Nonprofits”.  The effectiveness of the AVANCE Program has been featured in the New York Times, ABC World News Tonight, McNeil Lehrer Newshour, Parade Magazine, Parent’s Magazine and has been included in books by three first ladies; Hillary Rodham Clinton’s, It takes a Village, Barbara Bush’s, First Teachers and Rosylnn Carter’s, Helping Someone with Mental Illness.

December 6, 2011 – San Antonio, TX

Wednesday, November 30^th and Thursday, December. 1^st representatives from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) from Grand Rapids, MI visited AVANCE program sites and discussed an opportunity to establish the AVANCE PCEP in the Grand Rapids area. The visit provided an opportunity for increased communication between like organizations and laid the foundation for future collaboration. “Coming to AVANCE and seeing one of the best approaches in parent-child interaction was very powerful for me. We got to see the parents do toy making which was very exciting, and also saw the children were very happy and engaged in learning as well. We hope the ELNC can bring this program back to Grand Rapids.” said Dr. Nkechy Ezeh, Executive Director of the ELNC.

Existing AVANCE partners (ASPIRA of Florida, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, NIEER and Ready by Five Partnership for Early Learning) also traveled to San Antonio the same week. They visited AVANCE-San Antonio’s Carmen Cortez and Fenley Centers to experience AVANCE’s PCEP in action. While on location, the partners had an
opportunity to observe the 3 hour AVANCE parenting component that includes toy-making, parenting lessons and a community speaker. “Site visits are so helpful to our new partners. We are proud to have AVANCE-San Antonio serve as a benchmark for what is expected of all our new partners. When our partners actually view the program in operation many of the questions they have get answered “, explained Sylvia Soriano, AVANCE Lead Training Specialist.

In 2010, this San Antonio based nonprofit servicing families with children 0-3, was able to secure the largest grant in their history with a generous $12.6 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grant created the UAPP and aims to research the adaptability of the AVANCE PCEP in different ethnic communities as well as expand the AVANCE PCEP into 12 new Hispanic communities. AVANCE is entering into re-grant agreements to implement the AVANCE PCEP with 4 similar organizations per year, for 3 years, and is currently accepting proposals. Andrew Brower, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Associate Program Officer, describes his experiences “It’s been a pleasure to travel here with representatives from the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in Grand Rapids and see that special sauce that makes AVANCE what it is, so we can try to bring that to Grand Rapids and serve our families with high quality programming.”

Since 1973, AVANCE has been dedicated to providing innovative education and family support services to predominantly Hispanic families in low-income, high-need communities. The organization’s comprehensive PCEP promotes community economic development, positive parenting skills and behaviors, school readiness, parental school involvement, adult education and civic engagement for a simultaneous impact on both the parent and child. The program has been shown to improve school readiness of children zero to three years of age and has had a life changing impacts on Latino families through partnerships with community-based organizations.

Richard J. Noriega, AVANCE President and CEO, shared his thought on the visit, “We were thrilled to again have Kellogg as our guest and host the ELNC along with our other partners. The support we have received from Kellogg is truly remarkable. One of AVANCE’s goals is to establish at least 15 new sites across the U.S. by 2015 and today we are on pace to meet and exceed that number.”

The certification validates the PCEP for achieving a high level of quality early childhood education for AVANCE families. A Texas Rising Star (TRS) Provider is a child care provider that has an agreement with a Board’s Child Care Contractor to serve Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) subsidized children and voluntarily meets requirements that exceed the State’s Minimum Licensing Standards for child care facilities.

Some of the criteria for receiving the TRS certification include director and caregiver qualifications, staff orientation and training, curriculum, caregiver-child interaction and more.

“AVANCE–San Antonio continues to impress. Their tireless efforts, teamwork and passion for community development are unsurpassed and they are an exemplary example of the AVANCE program. As we prepare to enter our 40th year, this certification signifies that AVANCE continues to be a leader in early parent-childhood education,” explains Rick Noriega, President and CEO of AVANCE National, “I congratulate the San Antonio branch for all their hard work and dedication.”

The school based PCEP operates in partnership with the Harlandale Independent School District (HISD). The district provides the space, services and much more. In addition, they also fund part of the Parent Educator position. “We are grateful to have the school based program. The district has enabled us to reach more families and accommodate the unique needs of families in HISD,” explained Becky Cervantez, Executive Director of AVANCE–San Antonio.

Vicente Sanchez, Coordinator of Services to the Fatherhood Program, and Dr. Ferguson enjoy holding a baby simulator.

September 27, 2011 – San Antonio, TX Dr. Anita Perez Ferguson, Executive Director of THRIVE, a California based collaborative focused on school readiness through cradle-to-career
initiatives, along with a group from Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), visit the Carmen Cortez Center to see firsthand how the AVANCE program empowers families.

The visit provided an opportunity for further collaboration among the agencies as they shared how they implement similar early learning programs, while maintaining the same core principles. “This visit reinforces that OLLU, AVANCE, and THRIVE are natural partners.” said Dr. Ferguson.

Dr. Teresita E. Aguilar, Director for the Center for Mexican American Studies and Research and Dr. Michaela Cole, Director of Early Childhood and Associate Professor of Education, brought  a group of students from OLLU to participate in the interactive environment at AVANCE. The students had an opportunity to observe AVANCE’s Fatherhood program as well as field questions to the staff; spending hours touring the facility and gaining valuable insight into a career they may join upon graduation. Over the years AVANCE and OLLU have collaborated to offer internships and improve the delivery of AVANCE services.

Yesenia Gonzalez, Program Director for AVANCE-San Antonio, discusses the toy making component of the Parent-Child Education Program with a group of students from OLLU.

“We were delighted to have Dr. Perez Ferguson as our guest. Her accomplishments supporting and engaging the Latino community, among other things are truly commendable. Our national expansion efforts have experienced great success over the last few years, due in part to valuable relationships with similar minded organizations. Under the direction of Dr. Perez Ferguson THRIVE is doing some great work and AVANCE was eager to share best practices with such a distinguished organization,” said Rick Noriega, President and CEO of AVANCE.

Before returning to her other responsibilities as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Dr. Ferguson had this to say, “Some think AVANCE is a local Texas thing, but their research, training and knowledge has spread nationwide”.

About THRIVE:

THRIVE is a collaborative, based on the cradle-to-career approach established by Geoffrey Canada, creator of the famous and well-regarded Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City. Founders of THRIVE believe knowledge and attention on preparing and readying the next generation is a matter of protecting the collective economic future in Santa Barbara County. One core principle of THRIVE is parent involvement because research has shown and common sense dictates, that when
parents become engaged in their children’s success student success rates soar.

First 5 of Santa Barbara County, CA offers the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program and serves as the operating partner of THRIVE, overseeing evaluation,
contracts, and technical assistance. Beyond Parent-Child Education THRIVE partners with different organizations to offer a comprehensive array of social services and family resources.

Hispanic Business Magazine names Richard J. Noriega as one of the Top 100 Influential Hispanics of 2011. 

This year the magazine’s focus is on diversity and inclusion.  Mr. Noriega’s career and accomplishments is one of the most diverse in the group.  

TX – October 12, 2011  

AVANCE, a leading agency in early-childhood education, was invited to present to members of the P-16 Council on Wednesday, October 12th, on Improving the School Readiness of Children and Impacting Families through Partnerships with Community-based Organizations. 

Richard J. Noriega, President & CEO of AVANCE National and Dr. Glendelia Zavala, Chief Program Officer along with Sofia Casini, Executive Director of AVANCE-Austin, addressed the Council about the importance of expanding the P-16 initiative to “Cradle to Career” education strategy.  The P-16 Council is responsible for ensuring that long-range plans and educational programs for the State of Texas complement the functioning of the entire system of public education, extending from early childhood education through postgraduate study.  

AVANCE staff from L to R, Exec. Dir. Sofia Cassini, Chief Prog. Officer Dr. Glendelia Zavala, Pres. & CEO Richard J. Noriega

AVANCE strongly believes that Texas Education system needs to expand and embrace the realization that a child’s ability to learn starts at birth and therefore, the education strategy should include programs focusing on parents with children birth to 3 years of age.  Research has proven that investment in early learning programs, especially those with a focus on the parent, has a high yield of return.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its 2010 ICW report, “Why Business Should Support Early Childhood Education” states that for every dollar invested today, savings range from $2.50 to as much as $17 in the years ahead.  The Pew Research Center report on “Childhood Poverty Among Hispanics” states that poverty rates for Latino children are on the rise and they are the largest and poorest ethnic group.  According to the report, “This marks the fist time in U.S. history that the single largest group of poor children is not white.”

To stop this cycle of poverty AVANCE, for nearly 40 years, has served predominately low-income Hispanic families with its signature Parent-Child Education Program for parents with children birth to 3 years.  AVANCE graduates, tracked in Dallas and El Paso, consistently outperform their peers in reading, math, and writing.  The AVANCE model contributes to the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of children 0 to 3 resulting in school-preparedness, less remedial classes and higher graduation rates. 

Rick Noriega explains, “The opportunity to present to members of P-16 Council allows AVANCE to reaffirm the importance of early childhood education and to strengthen the partnerships and support from both the state public education system and the private sector.”

The P-16 Council represents 5 Texas state agencies: the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Texas Department of Health Services (DHS), and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). The Council co-chairs used their statutory authority to appoint additional members to represent public school district, community college, university, business, health services, and community.

With a $12.6 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, AVANCE created the Unlocking America’s Potential Project (UAPP) to expand its evidence-based Parent-Child Education Program across the United States. As part of the project, AVANCE will re-grant funds over a three year time period to twelve qualified organizations serving low-income Hispanic families in order to adopt the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program model. The UAPP re-grant allows for a one-time payment of $50,000 to selected organizations to help with initial setup costs. AVANCE will also provide intensive training to the staff selected to deliver the program. Additionally, technical assistance will be provided along with monitoring and evaluation visits.  Beyond providing financial assistance to implement the PCEP, UAPP is determined to contribute to the global learning community by facilitating peer networking and creative innovations, while also conducting longitudinal research.

In the early months of 2010, AVANCE began accepting proposals to add 4 new Re-grant Partners by releasing the first of three UAPP Requests for Proposals (RFPs). In April 2011, AVANCE made its first selection of Re-grant Partners, adding El Buen Pastor Latino Community Services in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Casa Guanajuato Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois; Ready by Five – Partnership for Early Learning in Yakima, Washington; and ASPIRA of Florida in Miami, Florida. The new Re-grant Partners have been successfully trained, and are now prepared to effectively deliver the PCEP beginning in the early fall of 2011.

Magdalena Santos, UAPP Project Director explains, “The beginning of the UAPP has been tremendously successful, because of the shared passion for community development between our Re-grant Partners and AVANCE. The four new Re-grant Partners have worked tirelessly with AVANCE trainers to ensure flawless and high quality implementation of the PCEP. We look forward to reviewing this year’s proposals and ultimately adding four more Re-grant Partners.”

Since 1973, AVANCE has been dedicated to providing innovative education and family support services to predominantly Hispanic families in low-income, high-need communities. The organization’s comprehensive PCEP promotes community economic development, positive parenting skills and behaviors, school readiness, parental school involvement, adult education and civic engagement for a simultaneous impact on both the parent and child. The program has been proven to improve school readiness of children zero to three years of age and had a life changing impact on Latino families through partnerships with community-based organizations.

Click here to download the proposal and for even more information about the Unlocking America’s Potential Project, Follow AVANCE on Twitter @uapproject and Like the Facebook page Unlocking America’s Potential Project.

San Antonio, TX – August 16, 2011
by John Michael Johnson, Communications Specialist

AVANCE, Inc. participated in an online conversation Sunday, August, 14^th 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 @UAPP, 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, 25^th 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.

Sunday, July 10, 2011 – Letter from the White House | Office of Public Engagement