Elevating Authentic Community Voices: Insights from Chicago Families
Kids First Chicago partnered with Cortico and the Carnegie Corporation of New York to hear directly from parents about how they find and trust education information. Through 22 conversations across 13 communities, families shared the barriers they face, what sources they rely on, and how schools and community groups can better support them.
Project Background
Kids First Chicago (K1C) had the opportunity to add the voices of Chicago parents to the Carnegie Voices portal. This new digital resource shares insights from small-group conversations with families and community members across seven states.
In partnership with Cortico and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, K1C hosted small group conversations to understand where low-income parents, parents of color, and immigrant communities turn to for education-related information and how they navigate the U.S. education system.
Through this project, twenty-two K1C parents, representing thirteen community areas, participated in five conversations hosted in English and Spanish. The K1C-led conversations joined an archive of over forty recorded small group conversations collected by organizations across the country.
Each small group conversation included four to six parents and centered around three guiding questions:
- What kinds of specific information related to education do under-served communities seek to support their children’s academic progress, and where do they usually find this information?
- Who do these families turn to for guidance on navigating the U.S. education system and obtaining the necessary information for their children’s academic success?
- Which sources of information about education do families trust the most? Are they more likely to rely on schools, teachers, local media, social media, or other social networks when trying to gather information about education-related issues?
A group of Sensemaking Fellows, including two parents representing K1C, listened, analyzed, and synthesized the forty recorded conversations and pulled out key insights.
Key Community Insights
Five key community insights emerged across the conversations, regardless of the language or location:
Parent Experiences: This insight highlights the experiences of parents engaging with the education system. Many participants shared experiences of feeling frustrated, unheard, or confused when engaging with their child’s school/district. Other comments stressed the importance of parent and community advocacy to push for change in the education system.
Barriers to Education: A common theme among the barriers that parents shared was a lack of access to information and resources, such as language barriers or inaccessible formats. Parents also highlighted that a lack of funding for education makes it challenging to secure adequate services for their students, and time constraints for working families often make it challenging to engage. Participants stressed community organizations and support networks as essential in helping parents navigate the American education system.
Trusted Sources of Information: A central goal of the conversations was to understand where families turn to for information related to education. Common information sources included resource sharing between parents, trusted relationships with community organizations like Kids First Chicago, and online sources such as local news channels. In conversations hosted in languages other than English, language access was a central concern, with participants highlighting the role of students in supporting parents’ understanding of materials.
Categories of Information: This insight stressed the importance of accessible education resources designed for parents that provide parents with actionable steps to support their child’s success. Participants highlighted that having access to information, in their native language, gives them the tools necessary to play an active role in their child’s education experience and confidently navigate the education system.
Parent Hopes: Participants from all backgrounds expressed wanting a well-rounded experience for their children that supports them in achieving a bright future with social and economic success. Many participants also shared their hopes for an improved school system with equitable resources and pathways to higher education and improved access to parent support.
Looking Ahead
As we embark on a new school year, conversations like these remind us of the importance of parent engagement in the education system across the country. Organizations like Kids First Chicago work to provide parents with information on what’s happening in the education system in an accessible manner to help them navigate the complex education system.
Not only do these conversations offer insight into parents’ experiences, but they also provide a starting point for broader conversations on how to best support parents and families in navigating a changing education system. As the facilitators of this project for K1C, we're grateful to the parents who shared their experiences and hopes for their children's education. Through these conversations, participants emphasized the critical role K1C plays in helping them make sense of an ever-changing school system. Hearing these responses encourages us to continue our work empowering parents so they can achieve their vision for their children.
Being part of this fellowship made me learn how to capture the richness and depth of stories that our communities shared with me. I feel humble to know that they shared their stories in a meaningful way that will stay forever with me. Thanks parents & community members!
—Vanessa Espinoza, Community Sensemaking Fellow
More to explore:
Explore the project portal here and hear directly from K1C parents on how Kids First Chicago is a trusted source of information as they navigate the school system.
You'll also hear from parents across the country on what is necessary to best support families in accessing the educational information they need.