Creando una cultura universitaria: How an educational technology non-profit organization engages families of elementary aged future first-generation Latin@ college students

Abstract

<p>This study explored the experiences of five mothers of future first-generation Latin@ college students in the first grade in a San Antonio area school that participated in the Yes! Our Kids Can® program. The purpose of this study was to learn how the parents or caregivers used technology to engage with the curriculum to help them create a college going culture at home. For this study, only mothers responded to the participant recruitment post with an interest to participate. This study used a qualitative narrative research method, specifically testimonio, and was guided by the learner centric ecology of resources framework along with community cultural wealth to listen to the voces to understand and make sense of the parents’ or caregivers’ experiences about if and how the messages they received from Yes! may influence them in the creation of a college going culture at home. By listening to the voces and testimonios of the caregivers themselves, we will be able to better support and increase the engagement, achievement rates, and success of future first-generation Latin@ college students. Five mothers volunteered to participate and share their testimonio during three individual interviews.</p> <p>The study uncovered the four temas or themes that follow: mothers engage with the Yes! curriculum on their smart phones, engage with it as an entire family, use it to create hope for a better future and to leverage their cultural capital to create a college going culture. The findings of this study confirm that a partnership between an elementary school and an EdTech non-profit organization is engaging participating mothers in their children’s education. It is imperative to redefine family engagement in order to create a college going culture in homes with future first-generation Latin@ college students.</p>