Families with Power/Familias con Poder (FWP) is a grassroots organization of low-income students and caregivers in Northampton, MA, that shares the stories and lessons learned through more than a dozen years of student and family engagement in the community and school. It is inspired by Paulo Freire's educational philosophy and the radical tradition of the Highlander Folk School and features vignettes and interviews that bring to life Freire's methods of problem posing, culture circles, and popular education. It also provides guidance to help today's teachers and school leaders connect with students' families and community in meaningful ways.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2022
Publisher: Teachers' College Press

Winner of the Society of Professors of Education 2024 Outstanding Book Award, Families with Power/Familias con Poder (FWP) is a groundbreaking book that explores the potential of low-income families to organize activities that can help their children succeed. Inspired by Paulo Freire's educational philosophy and the radical tradition of the Highlander Folk School, a group of real families with few material resources and educators connected with each other, found common ground and built their own programs to address the needs of their children. Through vignettes and interviews, this premiere book in Sonia Nieto's Visions of Practice Series shares the stories and lessons FWP learned along the way. Readers will get an inside look at the benefits, successes, and challenges of more than a dozen years of student and family engagement in the community and school as FWP tackled issues ranging from academics, race, and class to immigration and public health.

Winner of the Society of Professors of Education 2024 Outstanding Book Award

What if the families of students most impacted by the opportunity gap somehow had the power to organize whatever activities they felt would best help their children succeed?

Thats the question that began Families with Power/Familias con Poder (FWP), a grassroots organization of low-income students and caregivers in Northampton, MA.

Through vignettes and interviews, this premiere book in Sonia Nietos Visions of Practice Series shares the stories and lessons FWP learned along the way.

Inspired by Paulo Freires educational philosophy and the radical tradition of the Highlander Folk School, a group of real families with few material resources and educators connected with each other, found common ground and built their own programs to address the needs of their children.

Readers will get an inside look at the benefits, successes, and challenges of more than a dozen years of student and family engagement in the community and school as FWP tackled issues ranging from academics, race, and class to immigration and public health.

Book Features:

• The story of how the author cofounded Families with Power in cooperation with immigrant and low-income caregivers and fellow educators.
• Insight into multiple racial and ethnic perspectives as seen through a myriad of family engagement programs.
• A relatable collection of narratives that bring to life Freires methods of problem posing, culture circles, and popular education, as well as Highlander Folk Schools grassroots organizing.
• Guidance to help todays teachers and school leaders connect with students families and community in meaningful ways.
• The authors experiences as a white teacher learning to bridge cultural, racial, linguistic, and class dif.

Weight: 334g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780807766385