Family Initiatives Project

The Family Initiatives Project (FIP) brings together families, schools, and communities as partners in the education process. The project mission is to provide English-speaking families, especially African-American families, at California GEAR UP schools the support, information and resources needed to increase family participation with the school and community in their students’ academic and social experience.

FIP uses facilitators from local school communities and provides 10 hours of training. On October 10, 20 facilitators and outreach volunteers were trained in Oakland. To develop the interactive process, facilitators and volunteers make phone calls to targeted families for the family sessions. Each school works with FIP to integrate this project with the current parent involvement activities of the school. A commitment from the School Leadership Team has been a key to successful participation at previous GEAR UP schools.

Marsha King, FIP Coordinator

Usually five FIP family sessions are scheduled. They include an orientation and focus on understanding changes happening to the middle school child, building self-esteem and communication, teaching children how to read and process language, how the school system functions including "The Road to the University", and the Principal’s Dialogue. Graduation certificates and celebration conclude the project.

Participants commented as follows:Parent of 8th Grader: "My son is reading more; I went into his room and he was under the covers with a flashlight reading—because I had told him to go to bed…he never liked to read before."

Parent of 8th Grader: "I wish I had heard about FIP when my son was in the 6th grade—this is good information for us."

Father of 6th Grade Girl: "We’re actually talking more."

6th Grade Science Teacher: "This is a great program; all parents can benefit from participating."

FIP greatly appreciates the recent donations from organizations in the city of Concord:

Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Elephant Bar Restaurant, Dot’s N Dashers, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and Round Table Pizza.

For additional information, contact Marsha King, Project Coordinator, via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone (916) 551-1758. The Family Initiatives Project brochure can be downloaded from the GEAR UP website from the Publications page.

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Joann Zgonc - Publication Coordinator
Bernadette Ramirez - Executive Assistant
Tarik Assagai - ACS Digital Media

Regional Coordinators

Sandy Carpenter-Stevenson	Vance Mills
Shirley A. Cunningham	Gina Rodriguez
Frank Holmes	Robert Van Zant
Donald Mar	Joann Zgonc

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