"I want him to go to college because he will have more opportunities to work and have a better life," Hernandez said of her youngest, Oscar Hernandez.
"Juntos: Together for a Better Education," is the name of the six-session workshop series that aims to help more Latino youth succeed in secondary school and discover pathways to higher education.
Pronounced "HOON-toes," juntos is Spanish for "together."
The free program for families with students in grades 8 through 12 originated in North Carolina and has already spread to Iowa, Nevada and Oregon.
It is being piloted in Tulsa this semester at East Central and Hale junior high schools, and during the spring semester, it will be introduced at their respective high schools.
Workshop topics include setting educational goals as a family; high school graduation requirements in terms of courses, grades and passage of Oklahoma's high-stakes exit exams; bridging communication gaps between students and parents and schools; options for financing college; and the college admissions process.
