Elevate’s TeacherMentors understand that to empower their students to achieve, they must establish connections with families. This starts the moment a student is assigned to the Elevate classroom. Brand-new Middle School TeacherMentor Laticia Huchin hit the ground running in January, reaching out to parents to introduce herself and make sure they understand what Elevate is all about.
Soon, Laticia says, “Talking to parents became a lot easier. Parents have gotten used to me calling and checking on them. I always reassure them that I have their back as well as their kids’. One set of parents relayed to me that they appreciate the amount of communication and follow-ups, and how easy it is to access me when they have questions.”
In a very short time, Laticia — a former Elevate Oregon student herself — has established herself as an ally, facilitator, and connector to services for the Parkrose youth and families we serve. She advocates directly for youth in Student Assistance Teams, communicating results and connecting parents with teachers and counselors.
But her work goes further. Laticia is helping struggling families apply for financial assistance through the Trail Blazer resource page. She alerted her families to a Parkrose Community Discussion forum about COVID-19 Vaccines, and emailed about available resources during the power outages that occurred during the ice storm.
We couldn’t be happier with her work, or more proud of this Elevate Oregon grad! Elevate and Laticia are a trusted resource inside and outside the schools, supporting Elevate families so that kids can better focus on their homework, their grades, and their future plans.