Abstract
The Juntos Program empowers Latina/o students and their families to gain the knowledge and resources necessary for academic success in high school and college. This is made possible via four interlinking components: Family Engagement; 4-H Clubs; Success Coaching and Mentoring; and a Juntos Summer Academy. Nineteen focus groups with participants in the Juntos Program (61 parent and 24 youth) revealed improvement in five core areas: aspirations, interpersonal communication, leadership skills, technical skills, and family engagement. Seven ripple maps were created by groups of participating parents demonstrating that parents understand the various components of the program and the ways it helps their youth. Various programmatic and research-related implications emerged that can be used to impact work with Latina/o parents and youth.
The Latina/o population is currently the largest minority group in the nation, at nearly 18% (or 57 million; U.S. Census Bureau, 2017), and is projected to make up 31% of the total population by 2060 (Santiago, Galdeano, & Taylor, 2015). North Carolina is a new arrival state for Latina/o immigrants (Behnke, Gonzalez, & Cox, 2010). From 1990 to 2015, the state has seen a 10.4% growth in Latina/o population per year, the largest increase in the country (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). This influx has provided a challenge for schools and community organizations that historically had few resources for Spanish-speaking families and youth.
Arguably, one of greatest challenges facing states like North Carolina is the heightened school dropout rate among Latina/o youth (Stark & Noel, 2015). National statistics show that Latina/o youth have the highest high school dropout rates, measured at 9.2%, as compared with other ethnic groups (Blacks at 6.5% and Whites at 4.6%; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). Using the 4-year cohort graduation rates, these numbers are even more pronounced, with 25% of Latina/o youth and 39% of Limited English Proficient youth (LEP youth; the majority of whom are Latina/o) in the United States not graduating on time (EdDataExpress.ed.gov). These rates are similar in North Carolina, with 20% of Latina/o youth and 42% of LEP youth not graduating in 4 years (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 2016).
Many reports demonstrate that youth who drop out of school experience lifelong negative repercussions for themselves, their families, and their communities (Seroczynski & Jobst, 2016). Youth who drop out are more likely to experience long-term economic and academic inequalities, suffer a life of long-term poverty, low-paid employment or unemployment, dependence on government assistance, increased incidence of incarceration, mental health issues, and negative physical health outcomes (e.g., Aud, KewalRamani, & Frohlich, 2011). In addition to the individual repercussions on youth, the dropout rate also has a significant impact on surrounding communities. The social and economic ramifications of the predicted 6.7 million dropouts have been estimated to incur a financial burden of 7.3 trillion dollars over their lifetime when considering unpaid taxes, economic output loss, increased welfare support, police and correctional services, rehabilitation efforts, and medical and mental health expenses (Balfanz et al., 2014).
Latina/o youth often face significant academic challenges due to school climates and ethnic discrimination from peers and adults in their schools, leading to an ever widening achievement gap (Alfaro, Umaña-Taylor, Gonzales-Backen, Bámaca, & Zieders, 2009; Conchas & Hinga, 2015). Many Latina/o youth (especially immigrant youth) have limited English language proficiency which poses a significant barrier to academic success (Suárez-Orozco et al., 2010). Although the phenomenon of dropping out is complex, four core areas have been shown to consistently promote and improve academic success among Latina/o youth: (1) parent engagement in school; (2) personal and individualized attention to each student’s academics via tutoring, coaching, and mentoring; (3) monitoring and tracking student’s academic progress; and (4) increased opportunities for positive youth development through after-school programming (Dianda, 2008).
Parent Engagement as a Solution
Significant research has demonstrated the positive impact of parental involvement on reducing the likelihood of students dropping out of high school (Rumberger, 1995). We also know that parental involvement has a significant impact on academic outcomes such as high school retention (e.g., Schargel & Smink, 2014). Unfortunately, many Latina/o parents are less engaged than other parents due to factors such as language barriers, cultural expectations around school involvement, and financial realities that require them to work multiple jobs (Hayes, Blake, Darensbourg, & Castillo, 2015).
Success Coaching as a Solution
Research shows that assigning youth an academic coach is an effective method of supporting students to remain in school (Cox, 2009). Successful coaching builds strong relationships with students by mentoring them through difficult decisions and assisting with their school work in a more intensive way than regular school counselors are able to do. An evaluation of one such program in Oklahoma found that youth who participated in academic coaching had fewer negative peer relationships, lower levels of anxiety, better study habits, and improved parent–child relationships (Zeller, Carpenter, Lacefield, & Applegate, 2013).
Peer Social Support and After-School Programs as a Solution
Peer social support and after-school programming has also been shown to make a difference in Latina/o students’ academic outcomes. Research has demonstrated that after-school programming and peer support both can have positive impacts on dropout rates and other important academic outcomes (e.g., McDaniel & Yarbrough, 2016; Schargel & Smink, 2014). A survey of 1,000 Latina/o youth (largely children of immigrants) from North Carolina showed that after-school programs like 4-H clubs were some of the strongest predictors of student success and lowered intentions to drop out of school (Behnke et al., 2010).
College Visits as a Solution
Although college visits are generally thought of as a key part of many college-prep programs, the academic impacts of visiting colleges have seldom been studied (Perna, 2015). In a comprehensive qualitative study by the Pell Institute, a short section on college visits concluded that some students felt campus visits aided students to think about where to attend college, the differences between types of higher education (i.e., 2- and 4-year schools), and the unique features found in different institutions (i.e., class sizes, majors, programs offered, specialized financial aid; Engle, Bermeo, & O’Brien, 2006). These experiences help youth consider where to apply and eventually go to college. Previous research shows the importance of parent engagement, after-school programs, academic coaching, and college visits and are known to make a difference in preparing youth for college (see Alemán, Pérez-Torres, & Oliva, 2013 for a compendium). However, to our knowledge, no studies have assessed the combined impact of these interventions. This study seeks to fill this gap in the existing literature.
The Juntos Program
The Juntos Program, pronounced “Who-n-toes,” is an initiative created at North Carolina State University, and developed to target these four core areas with the mission of helping Latina/o youth achieve high school graduation and attend higher education (Behnke & Kelly, 2011). This article offers a systematic evaluation of this program and its efficacy. The Juntos Program means “Together” in Spanish and empowers Latina/o ninth- to 12th-grade students and their parents to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to succeed in school and to encourage families to work together to make going to college possible. The program provides youth and families with four components: (1) Monthly One-On-One Success Coaching and/or Mentoring by an adult who monitors their academics and coaches them to achieve their academic goals; (2) reliable Juntos 4-H Clubs with a focus on tutoring, public speaking, life skills, and community service; (3) Juntos Family Engagement via a 6-week workshop series and other family nights and family events; and (4) Juntos Summer Programming that includes the Juntos Summer Academy, and other local 4-H summer programs and events. Parallel to each of these four components are the following four program goals to
Increase Latina/o student success by improving student attendance and grades, and achieving high school graduation.
Increase the percentage of Latina/o students attending higher education.
Increase family engagement that leads to students’ educational success.
Increase the sense of belonging among Latina/o students and families in their schools and communities.
To better understand how the Juntos Program achieves these goals with participating youth and families, a 2-year multi-method evaluation of North Carolina youth and families in the program was conducted.
Foundation in the Bioecological Framework
This study is guided by Bronfenbrenner’s (1999) bioecological model that helps us understand how multiple levels of programming (e.g., individual, familial, community, and policy levels) influence academic success and the pursuit of higher education among the youth in the program. The bioecological framework also emphasizes “community control” of a program or the ability of the community to own and guide the success of the program in “their community.” It sets out to create “systems change” where not only is the individual impacted by the program but other systems reorganize to improve the success of the program. In addition, this Juntos Program encourages participants in their upward social mobility and to be leaders in their community, and as such this study also relied on the expectancy value theory: ability beliefs, expectancies for success, and the components of subjective task values (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000). Expectancy value theorists attempt to explain people’s choice of tasks through their persistence on those tasks, vigor in carrying them out, and performance on them (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Pintrich & Schunk, 1996). As discussed by Wigfield and Eccles (2000), there are a variety of constructs posited by motivation theorists to explain how motivation influences choice, persistence, and performance.
Method
During the time of this study, the Juntos Program served a total of 763 students. This study involves 12 parent and five youth focus groups held in five North Carolina counties: Forsyth, Sampson, Wake, Wayne, and Yadkin. The purpose of these focus groups was to better understand how the program affected the lives of these families.
A random sample of parents and youth in the program were invited to participate in the focus groups. The parent focus groups were conducted in Spanish and were comprised of 61 parents who participated in the program. The youth focus groups were conducted in English and were comprised of 24 participants. Trained evaluators asked 17 questions assessing the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program and which components of the Program were most useful to participants.
The recordings from each focus group were recorded and transcribed and Spanish parent focus group transcripts were translated to English. Transcripts were then coded in NVivo using a predefined codebook existing of 18 nodes. These nodes consisted of common themes identified during an initial analysis of the data. Three independent researchers coded the focus group data, and codes were compared in an iterative process to triangulate the data.
Seven of the parent focus groups include a ripple mapping exercise where parents were prompted to describe the different components of the Juntos Program and the areas they felt were most impactful about the program. Ripple Mapping is a mind wrapping approach that evaluates program impact (Emery, Higgins, Chazdon, & Hansen, 2015) and engages participants in a participatory process in order to figure out outcomes and impacts of a program. Ripple maps help to identify unintended consequences to determine the next steps to take within a program (Darger, 2014; Nathaniel & Kinsey, 2013). Parents attending these seven focus groups first identified significant aspects of the Juntos Program and then offered them to the whole group as they formed one ripple map to describe the program. Photographs were taken of each ripple map.
Results
Focus Group Themes
The focus group transcripts underwent a rigorous analytic process, allowing patterns, themes, and categories to emerge from the data (Patton, 1990). Each of the three co-authors read and coded the focus group data independently using NVivo 10 and grouped pieces of each focus group by themes or categories of recurring concepts. The three authors met to discuss and refine the themes, and then independently reread and coded the themes a second time. The research team then triangulated the qualitative data with the quantitative data, reviewed, and finalized the categories presented in this article.
The overarching theme found throughout the qualitative data was personal growth. Juntos participants including both parents and youth expressed an overwhelming appreciation for the Juntos Program because it had such a significant impact on their lives. Every participant conveyed how the Juntos Program helped increase their self-confidence, taught them about college admissions, exposed them to higher education, and gave them the tools to improve their academic standing and strive for higher education. Five themes coalesced from the transcripts: improved aspirations, interpersonal communication, leadership skills, technical skills, and family engagement. We will discuss each of these themes independently.
Improved aspirations
Through their participation in the various components of the Juntos Program, students improved their aspirations as they began to see college as an attainable goal. Thinking retroactively, students expressed that they were unmotivated to finish high school and had no desires to pursue higher education. Ultimately, these students did not believe that college and a career was possible. By participating in Juntos, students learned many valuable lessons such as how to prepare for college early, set realistic goals, and achieve these goals. The Juntos Program taught students that getting a college education was possible for them, which proved to be empowering for many: It [Juntos] really helped me a lot ’cause I was going to be like the rest of my family. My dad, my brother, my grandma, they all dropped out. I was going to do the same thing and do what they do, but this program helped me out and now I want to go to college.
Realizing that other possibilities existed for them and being encouraged to pursue their dreams was a huge motivator for many students: “Yeah, [Juntos] helped me, so that I can keep on trying and not give up and just try to apply and get the permission so that I can go to college and get the career that I want.” Over the course of the program, students’ attitudes transitioned from passive and unmotivated to unstoppable: “It’s helped me focus more in school and actually try. Yeah, it’s definitely been making me want to go to college more than anything and find something that I’m good at and enjoy doing.” Due to their participation in Juntos, students wanted to try harder in school and wanted to push themselves to achieve higher education which they previously considered impossible: “Before Juntos, I had goals: like, I wanted to graduate high school, then be a firefighter. But then after Juntos, I had evolved to going to college and being an engineer or a meteorologist.” As shown in this quote, Juntos helped broaden the possibilities for students and encouraged them to pursue higher education.
Not only did students improve their career and academic aspirations, but they also became more self-confident and motivated to speak up. For example, the participants were taught how to apply and get accepted to college and how to set realistic goals. Students were insecure about asking questions in class, which had a negative impact on their grades. However, Juntos helped bolster their self-confidence and empowered them to take charge of their academic success: Yeah, it [Juntos] helped me ’cause I was scared to ask a question; ask for help. I always thought that other people were going to think that I didn’t know anything, that they were better than me and stuff. But this has helped me—if you don’t ever ask something, you’re never going to learn. So, it’s better to speak up and ask than to just stay in there and sit. And it has helped me ’cause now I can ask for help, and I get a better understanding of what’s going on and what I’m doing.
Learning to speak out and ask questions helped students gain a better understanding of the course material, and improve their understanding and grades overall. Students also began seeking out more difficult classes in order to prepare for college: My son also improved his grades. And actually, this year is his last year in high school, and he changed classes because his mentors advised him what classes would be best to use in college. He signed up for harder classes, because he is thinking about his future. He is thinking of what is best for him, when he goes to college.
Parents were impressed with the changes they saw in their children. Students were transformed by their participation in Juntos. They experienced improvements in their self-confidence, communication skills, career aspirations, and they evolved from passive to proactive students.
Lastly, students learned to set realistic and attainable goals. Many students expressed that before Juntos they felt they had been unrealistic in how they would get the jobs and lifestyle they dreamed about. They felt their participation in Juntos helped them to set more realistic and attainable goals which could be achieved over time: You’re not going to make two million dollars in thirty seconds. [Juntos helped me] be more realistic and also helps you plan out your goals. Like instead of just saying, “I want to be this, saying okay, I want to be this, but to get there I want to first of all get good grades, then get into a good college and graduate with a Masters in this and then do something to get a good job.”
Thus, students learned to set realistic smaller goals to help them achieve their dreams. By gaining self-confidence, asking questions, preparing for the future, and learning to take small steps, students learned that it takes time, patience, and dedication to reach one’s long-term goals.
Interpersonal communication
Parents and youth alike noted initially feeling shy about expressing their opinions in both large groups and in one-on-one interactions. However, due to their participation in the various components of the Juntos Program, over time participants felt empowered with the tools to express themselves verbally. Parents mentioned that before joining Juntos, they had limited conversations with their children, especially about school and higher education. Youth also demonstrated that they did not feel comfortable expressing their opinions and were afraid to ask questions if they needed help with an assignment. Thus, we found that participating in the Juntos Program improved communication between parents and youth, among peer groups, and with authority figures such as teachers, guidance counselors, and principals.
Parents and youth alike were pleased with the improved communication between family members. Family Nights encouraged families to learn more about each other and to open the lines of communication. As noted by this Juntos youth: Before Juntos I never talked to my dad . . . never told him anything. But after the first meetings, that’s when we would get with the parents and talk about what we want to be and stuff . . . We saw how other families were with their kids . . . so that helped us. Now we’re closer to each other. I can talk to him and he tells me stuff . . . It got my dad to understand more about my education.
A Juntos parent expressed a similar scenario: Personally, the communication between my daughter and I was very small. She was very quiet, in her own world, and well, we started to talk more. She started to tell me this and that, and asked questions . . . The communication improved . . . It helped her a lot, she now speaks.
This provides a great example of how communication between parents and youth improves due to their participation in the Juntos Program. At the outset of the program, many parents and youth expressed that they seldom talked about what they were learning in school, how their grades were, or their goals or aspirations after high school. In general, the Juntos Program helped families develop stronger relationships with one another, which consequently improved parents’ knowledge of their children’s aspirations and helped them be more supportive of their goals: Yeah, it [Juntos] helped us as a family to come together with our children and work with them; get to know them. There are things sometimes, like my wife said, that we didn’t know about them and by being in groups with them, work on things together . . . they are more focused in school. Getting to know them more, and for them to get to know us, and most importantly for them to be able to communicate with us. Because that’s what really helps us, communication, over all.
Opening the lines of communication not only helped families become stronger, but it also empowered parents to be more involved in their children’s education. For instance, one Juntos parent claimed, “We have something in common now. It’s different from the routine things to talk about. So overall, for me, it has for sure changed. I now talk with my son about scholarships, colleges, universities, and about the GPA.”
Not only has Juntos improved communication for families, but relationships between peers and with authority figures have improved as well: My son has truly changed a lot. Today I see him and when he sees some people he’s the first to get out and greet them. He has changed a lot. He has received a lot of support from the Program.
Participating in Juntos helped these students feel more secure and self-confident which empowered them to advocate for themselves. A parent shared, Well, they learned to speak out more and grow. Like for example one of my children learned to speak out more in front of people. Because as the people in Mexico say, “They are always tugging at the parent’s’ clothes” [meaning they can’t be independent]. They’re not like that anymore. Wherever they go, they can do things themselves . . . they feel more secure about themselves.
During the Juntos 4-H Club meetings, students learned how to conduct meetings and speak in front of large groups. Not only was this evident in the focus group data, but it was also showcased at the end of the year celebration when students got up in front of over a hundred people and talked about their Juntos participation.
Leadership skills
As students learned to speak up and voice their opinions, they gained valuable leadership skills as well. Through the Juntos Program, youth learned to be leaders in the Juntos 4-H Club and in their school. Juntos youth take on leadership positions in their clubs and plan and carry out activities like community service projects, field trips, experiential learning activities, and family nights. By letting youth take turns leading in smaller groups, these students developed public speaking skills, leadership abilities, and self-confidence. One youth shared, “It also helped me with my presentation skills. Presenting something to the parents has helped me in school because it helps me present in front of the class, like with projects.” One parent commented on how she saw her daughter has become a leader and mentor through her involvement in Juntos: My daughter helps to tell her friends, “Hey we need to go to college . . . to do so we have to do this and that.” She gets support from the group and then she shares that with my other daughter, “We must do it and I can tell you how can do it.” She has made herself be a sort of mentor for her friends.
Numerous participants mentioned their experience at Camp Rockfish, a Juntos leadership camp, where they learned about the importance of teamwork, problem solving, and the difference between leading and following. One youth mentioned the Trust Fall activity, where students learned that in order to be good leaders they should be vulnerable and depend on others for help.
We had to trust our teammates to catch us, ’cause we had to fall back, and we had to trust them to catch us so that we won’t fall. That kind of helped us [learn] that we can trust other people and to never let us fall and always help.
In addition, they learned the importance of working in teams and what it meant to be a leader and a follower, both valuable and necessary roles: It [Camp Rockfish] taught me different ways to do it [balance activity], not just like “You have to be in charge, you are the leader,” ’cause that’s not how it is. You have to understand things, and sometimes, I quote this: “Sometimes you have to be a follower to be a leader.” That’s exactly what they said at camp.
Learning the importance of being both leaders and followers taught students how to be team players, develop healthy relationships, and trust others. In addition, learning when to lead and when to follow were valuable lessons because as one Juntos student said “we all can’t be leaders at the same time.” These leadership skills were also reinforced at the Juntos Summer Academy, Family Nights, and 4-H Club meetings. Many of these activities were fun and exciting for students, but they also had constructive elements that improved leadership skills and community-building among the students and families.
Through the program, Juntos parents also discovered they have a voice and are leaders in their communities. For instance one parent shared, Let’s say for example, a meeting with American parents . . . and we elect a voice among us Hispanic parents that can attend the meeting. It would have to be a parent that speaks English, maybe like me for example, but there should be a Juntos voice at those meetings, and then at all the [Juntos] family meetings we can discuss all the points that pertain to us Hispanic parents, and then that voice goes back to the school and tells them these are the views and points we have. But it has to be a leader that can go to those meetings and have a voice.
These voices of parents and youth demonstrate a few of the many ways they felt the Juntos Program helped them become stronger and more effective leaders in their community and school.
Technical skills
Technical skills such as knowing how to navigate the educational system, how to find and apply for financial aid, and understand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program were largely misunderstood before parents and students entered the Juntos Program. Through the Parent Workshops, families were taught about the importance of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and how to apply for college using DACA in the event that the child was not a fully documented citizen: Before, I thought I could never go to college ’cause a lot of people tell me that you can’t go to college ’cause you don’t have the right papers. But Juntos helped me; they told me about people who had the same problem as me can apply for DACA. They can help get permission to go to [college], keep on getting an education, and getting permission to work. And so that helped me. I can keep on trying and not give up and just try to apply and get the permission so that I can go to college and get a career that I want.
These skills proved to be invaluable, as students and parents were previously unaware of these assistance programs. Learning about these opportunities enabled families to pursue something they had previously thought was impossible.
Learning about how to find and apply for scholarships and financial aid was very beneficial to these students, but they also learned about attending a community college and dual enrollment to help decrease the cost of education: Now like that I learned more about the opportunities that I have and financial aid and all of that stuff, it interests me more and I figured out that instead of going to like a university all four years, you can start off two years at a community college instead of paying so much money. If you want to go out of state, you can also go to like a community college there and do like your one year residence and then go to university.
Students were excited to learn that they could dramatically decrease the amount of money they spent on education by pursuing dual enrollment while still in high school, as well as transferring from a community college to a 4-year university. As noted in this quote, as students learned valuable information about how to navigate these institutions, they became more interested in pursuing a college education.
Family engagement
Family engagement is a significant element in the Juntos Program. Families play an integral role in shaping their children’s livelihoods, dreams, and ambitions. Through their participation in the Juntos Program, parents learned how to engage with their children on a new level, they learned to ask questions about their education and their dreams, and they began to play a proactive role in their children’s educations. Educating the parents about how to help their children strive for college is an important component of Juntos: I have also noticed that you have prepared not just the children but the parents as well. It is not enough for the children to finish high school. Yes, they can achieve that, but if we are not prepared or focused in the things they want to achieve, then they won’t reach them. They can finish high school, but they need to be prepared for what lies beyond high school.
Parents learned that their involvement in their children’s academics has caused a positive impact on the attainment of their goals: I know Juntos has helped them [students] out [to get good grades]. But for us [parents], I think the thing I love most about Juntos is that the program involves the parents as much as the students. And in that way, we can work with them and help them.
Parents developed knowledge about the educational system and what they needed to do to help their children succeed. Parents also learned to share their struggles with their children, which was a powerful motivator for many students: Well, for me, I love talking to my parents about college because even though they don’t understand the whole process or how it works, they are still trying; making that effort to keep a conversation with me. I know they gave up everything they knew, just so that I could have a better life and I know that college can get me a better life.
Others echoed similar sentiments: What parents wanted us to do is to accomplish our goals. And that’s why they want us to be more successful than them because they struggled in life to come over here and be something in their lives, and they want us to be more than what they are now. It showed us how our parents could work with us.
Opening up the lines of communication had a huge impact on the students. For the first time, they saw the struggle their parents faced due to their lack of education. Students found these stories inspiring, and they appreciated the support from their parents to pursue their academic dreams. Parent engagement fostered through the Juntos Program helped solidify families as they worked together to pursue loftier goals. These relationships transcend individual families and serve to build a community of Latina/o families pursuing higher education: I believe that they [students] have learned a lot, in fact, they feel the mutual support. They feel they are not alone, and that if they have a question, there is somebody they can turn to, and we feel the same as well . . . This program has offered us that.
Based on our analysis of the focus group data, we found five overarching themes of personal growth exhibited by both students and their families: improved aspirations, interpersonal communication, leadership skills, technical skills, and family engagement. Due to their involvement in the Juntos Program, we found an overwhelmingly positive impact on these families. Students and their parents started to see college as an important and obtainable goal, one in which they could achieve by planning and preparing for the future. Until they became involved in the Juntos Program, many had limited aspirations and were unmotivated to do well in school or to pursue a college education. Yet now, these families see college as a possibility to improve the livelihoods of their children.
Understanding of the Program
A ripple mapping technique was used to assess how well Juntos families understood the scope and services of the Juntos Program. Each of the seven focus groups developed a simple ripple map like the one demonstrated in Figure 1. From these maps we can see that parents in general have a very good sense of what the program is doing to help them and their youth.
Example ripple map from Wayne County.
Discussion
Findings from the present study support extant literature that depicts the core challenges that many Latina/o families face. Not only did participants often report a lack of awareness of higher education, but they also reported a lack of communication skills and confidence to ask questions. In turn, parents felt excluded from their children’s education. These realities can impact communities and instill a sense of dependency and inadequacy instead of showcasing ways Latina/o communities can contribute to community empowerment and capacity-building efforts (Mathie & Cunningham, 2003). The Juntos Program incorporates family nights and workshops that engage parents and encourage open lines of communication between youth and parents. Parents along with youth became empowered through the Juntos Program’s workshops and activities. Youth and their parents were able to share personal stories that highlight the obstacles they have to overcome to be where they are, and youth reported that this open communication helped them grow in confidence in themselves and their families. Youth’s confidence increased and they respected their parents more because they were able to understand them and the challenges they have overcome. Students reported that being able to communicate with their parents helped improve their family relationships which in turn influenced their academics.
Research on parent engagement has generally shown a positive impact on academic outcomes, such as Latina/o high school retention (Rumberger, 1995; Schargel & Smink, 2014). As we have mentioned, the fact that many Latina/o parents tend to not be as active in their child’s education or present at school activities is a key challenge for schools and ultimately impacts Latina/o students’ academics. Latina/o parents face barriers such as language, cultural expectations around school involvement, and financial realities that require them to work multiple jobs (Hayes et al., 2015). The Juntos Program helps to reduce the barriers Latina/o parents often face as they try to be involved in their children’s academic success. Through Juntos Family Workshop Series, youth and their parents learn to overcome communication barriers, negotiate cultural constraints, and find ways to support one another toward their goal of higher education. Parents agreed that before joining Juntos, they had limited conversations with their children, especially about school and higher education. Family Nights also encouraged families to learn more about each other and higher education, opening positive lines of communication. A Juntos parent expressed “personally, the communication between my daughter and I has always been short. After Family Nights the communication improved.”
Opening the lines of communication not only helped families become stronger but also empowered parents to be more involved in their children’s education. For instance, one Juntos parent claimed, “We have something in common now. I am now able to talk with my son about scholarships, colleges, universities, and about the GPA.” The Juntos Program empowered parents to be knowledgeable about their child’s education and academic progress. Parents were able to understand college as an attainable goal for their children and were able to assist in the application process through resources presented at the Juntos Family Workshop Series and Family Nights.
The seven ripple maps that groups of parents completed also demonstrated how aware parents are of the Program and its impact for their youth. These mental maps are an excellent indication of their increased engagement and desire to be instrumental in helping their youth do well in school.
Parents in the program learned ways to be engaged in their children’s education that fit within their abilities and means. The result is parent engagement that may not look the same as that of other ethnic groups, but engagement that matters for Latino/a youth. Once parents take the information they have learned and start seeing how it makes a difference in their family, they are uniquely positioned to share it with their friends, extended family members, and neighbors. They often take on the role of volunteer with the program helping to teach the content and contributing to the program’s sustainability. In this way, Juntos intentionally creates new leaders and educators who themselves are passionate about making a difference for other families. This model is not unique to the Juntos Program; however, it is a good example of how this concept can be employed in Latina/o community programs (Block, 2009). Programs like Juntos must strive to recognize the capacities of local people and their associations in order to build powerful, autonomous, and sustainable community-based programs (Mathie & Cunningham, 2003).
These results also show that youth development programs need to be culturally relevant and fit within the needs of the communities they are serving. The Juntos Program has bilingual and bicultural volunteers and staff working to facilitate the experience for parents and youth throughout the planned activities and workshops. The importance of caring and culturally prepared staff and volunteers cannot be understated. To better understand how other positive youth development programs are doing with these and similar factors, replications and comparison studies of similar programs (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA [Young Men’s Christian Association], after-school programs) would be of great value. Such research offers the potential to maximize program outcomes over a wide variety of youth development program serving Latina/o youth and families across the United States.
Empowering Youth
With support from trusted adults and peers in the program, Juntos provides the foundation and encouragement that Latina/o youth often need as they develop through their adolescent years. Juntos implements experiential activities, developing skills to prepare students for college and engage in their community. One way that the Juntos Program empowers youth is through one-on-one success coaching. Juntos staff members and other peers in the program understand the importance of spending time with Latina/o youth to help them grow academically and feel validated in the work they achieve.
Findings from this study suggest that students gain improved communication skills among peer groups, parents, and authority figures at school through positive youth development and after-school programming. One student added, “After Juntos, my aspirations evolved into greater things—I want to go to college after I graduate and get a stable job.” Juntos appears to have helped participating students gain self-confidence and boosted their academic success. By working with dependable staff and volunteers in the Juntos Program, students were able to expand their interests into new areas such as public speaking, community service, and financial preparedness. The Juntos Program encourages Latina/o youth to see education as an attainable goal. This is done by setting and consistently working toward academic goals, developing new academic skill sets, increasing motivation by experiencing college via college visits and the Summer Academy, receiving peer support and as sense of belonging through Juntos 4-H clubs, and cultivating a sense of pride in giving back via community service.
Juntos maintains a heavy focus on youth empowerment and success by modeling empathy, providing encouragement from trusted adults and peers, and establishing support to succeed in and out of the academic world. Students felt empowered to express themselves verbally because of their participation in the program. One student stated, It’s better to speak up and ask than to just stay in there and sit. And it has helped me ’cause now I can ask for help, and I get a better understanding of what’s going on and what I’m doing.
Students improved communication skills among peer groups, with parents, and with authority figures at school, in turn giving them the courage to speak up, ask for help, and achieve better their academic outcomes. Through increased opportunities for positive youth development in after-school programming, Juntos succeeded in “closing the educational and opportunity gap, faced by Hispanic children in the United States” (Carnevale, 1999). This study helps us identify ways to improve the Juntos Program and see how programs like Juntos make a real difference in behavior change for Latina/o youth.
Limitations
The study’s relatively small sample size and the selectivity of the sample necessitate caution when interpreting its results. Our findings reveal an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward the Juntos Program that could be the product of self-selection bias, since involvement in the program and the related research was voluntary. Families may also be impacted by confirmation bias due to their commitment to the program and the length of time they committed to the study. This study was also limited by the fact the majority of these families are from rural Mexican sending contexts, largely two parent families, and recent immigrants, making it difficult for this study to apply to the greater Latina/o population within the United States. Future research using a larger sample that is more diverse in socioeconomic status, family makeup, and sending contexts will improve the generalizability of the study. Future work needs to be conducted to better understand the implications of the ripple map findings to better grasp how parents’ understanding of the program impacts their learning and behavioral outcomes.
The findings revealed in this study provide a beginning foundation upon which to build future research on the Juntos Program. We recommend that future researchers develop greater depth in understanding the Juntos Program by (1) examining the outcomes of the alumni of the program, (2) exploring through longitudinal methods the impact of dosage on program participants’ behaviors and outcomes, (3) conducting a randomized control trial study of the programs, and (4) a comparison of focus group data across the numerous states that are conducting the Juntos Program.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National 4-H Council, New York Life Foundation, and Altria.