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PASS program supports parents and students

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Parent Advocates for Students and Schools is an organization at Scott that provides military parents with effective ways to advocate for their children as they transition between school systems.

Military personnel face many challenges in their career, and those with children also face the effects of moving on their family's education needs.

"PASS was developed as an opportunity for parents to learn how school systems are organized, and how to find what their policies and procedures are," said Dr. Cindy Doil, school liaison at the Airman and Family Readiness Center. "This is so parents would best be able to negotiate with the school systems, and their children would not have to repeat courses so they could graduate on time."

PASS supports parents with children from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade.
"We try to teach the parents school readiness skills. There's a workshop to help children get ready for school, and we teach how to do school registration."

PASS also provides a forum of mentorship between parents who've already gone through a problem to help other parents who may face a similar situation.

"PASS is a peer-to-peer program," said Brenda Wells, Airman and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant. "It is parents mentoring other parents. Some people's kids are already grown and the parents have learned through mistakes along the way."

Amelee Lemieux, a mother of two local high school students, agrees.

"PASS has shown me that we don't all have to reinvent the wheel," she said. "With PASS, we're in it together and can learn from others' successes and failures.

"I'm not a professional educator, but I am a mom," Lemieux added. "I can contribute, and I can learn. Hopefully I can make things just a little better with PASS."

Along with parent-to-parent mentorship, the program places parents in touch with school administrators.

"PASS is all about trying to help parents by educating them that schools can be their partner," Wells said. "We show them how to work with school personnel.

"Teachers usually have the same goals and aspirations that parents do," she said. "We want the parents and teachers to continue thriving."

PASS offers seven different workshops throughout the year to help parent with putting together a school portfolio, individualized action plan and teaming with school personnel. The program also offers venues on making the transition to high school and preparing students for college.

For more information, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 256-8668.