Parent Empowerment Academy (PEA) provides parents with exposure to parental education, preparing them with the necessary skills to care for and support their children. Parenting classes teach parents new concepts of parental techniques that will help reduce the risk of child abuse, neglect, and abandonment in families new to the American lifestyle. Traditional family structures have also proven to be a major factor in cases like these where parents do not fully understand how to cater to each unique child. Designed in this program, are techniques to teach positive parenting skills that promote children's safety and positive well-being, while pushing parents to focus on educational programs. Parents involved in our PEA will be able to mentally, physically, cognitively, and emotionally grow by the end of the class. Interpreting services for Karen and Hmong speaking individuals are available during each class. 

The Parent Empowerment Academy program was created by the Family Engagement Department at Hmong College Prep Academy in the spring of 2022. What is the importance of parent involvement? Active parental involvement in a child's learning is crucial because it fosters a supportive environment that significantly enhances a child's academic performance, strengthens the parent-child bond, promotes positive attitudes towards learning, and contributes to overall emotional and social development; research consistently shows that engaged parents can positively impact their child's well-being and success in school. It was a very successful year for the Family Engagement Department at HCPA. Childcare support services, interpreting services, food, and refreshments were provided for parents while they participated in these training sessions.

Several Hmong College Prep Academy parents participated in our program during the spring training session from March 2024 through early June 2024.  A continual course will be taught on February 26, 2025, with the last session ending on May 14. Please check below for topics/dates.  We welcome and encourage all parents to attend all PEA sessions from start to finish.  However, we understand that scheduling conflicts can arise.  Please feel free to join us for as many sessions as your schedule allows.  Participants of the Parent Empowerment Academy program showed amazing progress in all sessions and expressed that they were more confident in their parenting at home. They plan to be volunteers and leaders in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) of HCPA. They also added that they would try connecting with other parents to help themselves by attending PEA training sessions at HCPA.