One of the inspiring programs I learned about yesterday in a conversation with a dear friend was about Con Mi Madre. Here is what “with my mother” is all about from their website:

Con Mi MADRE began in November 1992 through the efforts of The Junior League of Austin, Inc. and the University of Texas at Austin. Con Mi MADRE strives to facilitate the academic and personal success of Hispanic girls by providing information and support services to them and their mothers, in order to prepare the students for college.

Con Mi MADRE serves 6th-12th grade girls at the following target schools: Ann Richards’ School, Bailey, Bedichek, Covington, Fulmore, Martin, Mendez, O.Henry, Paredes, Webb and Small middle schools; Akins, Austin, Bowie, Crockett, LASA, LBJ, Reagan, and Travis high schools. Girls are actively recruited in the 5th grade through recommendations from their elementary school counselors and teachers. Recommended students demonstrate academic potential and/or could benefit from academic/personal support services. Priority status is given to potential first-time college graduates and is on a first come/first served basis; group size is limited. All services provided by Con Mi Madre are at no cost to participants because of the generous contributions received from program funders.

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I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so lulled into the homogenization of America that I forget we are the United States with many cultures represented. What my friend taught me about the Mexican culture in particular is that the young girls are not heading off to college because their mothers did not go to college (and many did not finish high school) so out of respect for their mothers (to not one up their mothers) or because they had not been shown an alternative such as completing school and going to college the girls do not even think of college much less go to college.

In the Con Mi MADRE program, learning is offered for both young girls and their mothers so that they can both learn and see what is possible out there for them. Evidently at the end of the program the mothers walk away with a certificate and the girls walk away with a certificate. Then, in many cases, the young girls’ eyes have been opened to what is possible for them so that they can set their intentions for graduating from high school and attending college.

This program makes so much sense for me. It is just one kind of program like this that is available for a specific group of people. My hat is off for the Junior League of Austin’s efforts towards the original program which was called, “The Junior League of Austin’s Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program”.

Stay tuned for more postings of other programs, like this one, where people are making a difference in other people’s lives. It’s happening all around us.

El trabajo compartido es más llevadero (Many hands make light work)