UWM Partnership

The Family Leadership Academy has established a partnership with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Continuing Education, Center for Urban Community Development (CUCD). Through this partnership, trainings have been developed that focus on parent engagement through the use of Funds of Knowledge (FOK). This perspective has been developed by Gonzalez, Moll and Amanti and presented in their book, Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing practices in Households, Communities and Classrooms, 2005. FOK refers “…to historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household and individual functioning and well being.” (Moll et al 2005, p.72)

FOK as we apply it in parent involvement has a strength perspective and is a process based on:

Engagement NOT Fixing Problems
FOK=approach NOT a program
Process—learning and inquiry—takes longer

We’ve established 3 levels of training consisting of 3 sessions at each level. Parents earn one Continuing Education Unit from UWM, CUCD for each level of training.

FOK Level 2, Parent Workshops are being held in January and February at Silver Spring Academy housed in Silver Spring Neighborhood Center in Milwaukee

FOK Level 2, Parent Workshops are being held in January and February at Mitchell School in Milwaukee

FLA is working with the Education Committee of the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative in Milwaukee