1) The document summarizes a study on the perceptions of higher education and parental support strategies of Mexican immigrant and Mexican American parents whose children participate in the Upward Bound program. 2) The Upward Bound program provides academic enrichment, college advising, and college trips to low-income, first-generation students to help them enroll in and succeed in college. The majority of the student participants in the program described are of Mexican descent. 3) The study involved interviews and focus groups with 9 Spanish-speaking and 10 English-speaking parents of Upward Bound students to understand their perceptions and support strategies. The results were then used to design a parent workshop program called "Juntos Superamos" to inform, empower

1. Strategies
Education Trends and Upward Bound
Upward Bound:
• Funded through the Higher Education Act (1965)
• Trinity Upward Bound 1/6 programs in San Antonio
• Serving low-income, first-generation students
• Provides academic enrichment, college advising, volunteer
opportunities, and college trips
• >70 students participating
• Majority of student participants are of Mexican decent
Study Question
✤ How do perceptions of higher education influence the parental
support strategies of Mexican Immigrant/American parents of
Upward Bound students?
“Darles lo que yo no tuve” Understanding perceptions of higher education and support strategies of Mexican
American/Mexican Immigrant parents
Norma Gonzalez
Program in Human Biology | Stanford University | Trinity University Upward Bound
Spring 2015
• Developed
interview protocol
July 2015
• Distributed flyers to Upward Bound students
• Presented study to parents
• Conducted 9 Spanish interviews (14-40min)
August 2015
• Conducted 10
English interviews
• 3 Spanish interviews
• 2 English/Spanish
focus groups
September 2015
• Distributed participant
compensation
• Transcribed Interviews &
Focus Groups
Winter 2015
• Multipass coding and Analytic memos
• Analytic displays
• Developed PSSP dissemination plan
June-July 2015
• Implementation of
Juntos Superamos
Parent Program
12
2
6
3
Monolingual English US Born
Bilingual US Born
Bilingual Mex. Born
Monolingual Spanish Mex. Born
Participant Profiles
Undergraduate Advising & Research| Donald Barr, MD, PhD | Amado Padilla, PhD | Haas Center for Public Service | Public Service Scholars
March & April 2015
• Drafted and Revised
Thesis
• Submitted Completed
Thesis
May 2015
• Received Public Scholarship
Summer Fellowship to fund
dissemination plan
Strong meritocratic
views of academic/
college success
1) More transparency between parents and schools
2) Changing the perception of a parent’s influence
Undervaluing
individual impact
Personal narratives
as encouragement
Decrease
transportation
barriers
Defer to counselors
for academic and
career advice
Education/Upward
Bound is “Key?”
1) Building networks among parents
2) Acknowledge community strengths
The Juntos Superamos Parent Program: Intended to Inform, Empower, and Support Upward Bound Parents
Four Series Workshops:
Una Cena Unida (A United Dinner) | Educational Disparities Informational & College Field Trip | Leadership Building | Parent initiated project
Evolution: Pre- & Post- Survey on program effectiveness and information acquisition. Report to Upward Bound staff and Haas Center
• Brief interviews without follow-up may have led to information gaps
• Interview and focus group scheduling occurred within a month,
perhaps limiting who may have and how many people participated
• 85% of participants were women; findings may not be generalizable
to include men
• Did not include parents who removed their children from UB
Limitations
• Compare findings across other Upward Bound communities in San
Antonio
• Collect data over entire summer with multiple interviews and Focus
Groups
• Gather data from families who left Upward Bound
• Increase the sample of men participating
Research Recommendations
Research and Methods Timeline
Results and Future Projects
References & Acknowledgments
Perceptions
Key
Consolidated
analysis
Intervention