The Power of Familia

invest in students and strengthen communities

Marc Coronado, Karen Chow , Amy Lombardi

and the LEAD Mentors
LEAD, Latina/o Empowerment at De Anza
De Anza College, Cupertino, CA 94110

What is familia?
Familia is the Spanish word for family.
The concept of familia in the classroom
is based on the social structure of the
Latina/o extended family: a social group
that includes multiple generations and
even biologically unrelated individuals all
of whom recognize their relatedness
through continuing contact, common
experiences, and shared responsibility.
Students in classroom familias thrive
when they are given time and
opportunity to know each another well
through both work and fun experiences.

How is a familia
different than a family?
Familia members are working toward shared goals in a mutually
respectful and supportive environment. This experience is an
opportunity for participants to form a
unique social support group that is
empowering, productive, and
positive.
This may be a very different
experience from that of
the family they grew up in!

How can we create a sense of familia

in the classroom?
1. Make familia THE organizing
structure of the classroom
2. Give students time to bond in
every class period
3. Encourage students to study
together, pass along assignments
when familia members are absent,
check in regularly
4. Assign responsibility for the
learning in the classroom to the
familias (move from lecture to dialogue)
5. Eliminate competition and focus on
collaboration.
6. Provide opportunities to contribute to the
larger world

What do familias value?

Mutual respect

Shared responsibility

* Opportunities to share
meaningful experiences
*

Effective communication

* Supportive relationships that are

comfortable, honest, committed,
and fun

A culture of mentorship

Create mutual respect through an

appreciation for difference.
Help students focus on
strengths, rather
than weaknesses.
Emphasize that we learn
most when we allow
ourselves to be
uncomfortable.
Promote active listening
skills.

Create experiences that emphasize

shared responsibility

Integrate meaningful experiences

into the curriculum
Civic engagement
opportunities are
familia-based
experiences and
require written
reflection.

Practice effective communication

Social media, laughter,
sharing our stories,
deep philosophical
discussions, even the
occasional argument
are how we get to
know each other well.

Create opportunities
to share food and fun

Support a culture of mentorship

Recruit successful students
to mentor newer students.
Formalize the mentor role
by providing training and
support for mentors.
Give mentors significant
responsibility for organizing
familia functions.
Reward mentors with public
recognition, free books, and
money when possible.

Strengthen familia relationships

through
civic engagement experiences
Karen Chow
Amy Lombardi
The LEAD Mentors

Reflect on the process in writing

Students think critically
when they reflect on their
learing in writing, and over
time.
When a class concludes,
mentors, students, and
instructors evaluate one
another in writing and
face to face, including
concrete suggestions for
improving the community.

Give familia a try

The bond that links
your true family is not
one of blood, but of
respect and joy in
each others life.
Rarely do members of
the same family grow
under the same roof.

up

Richard Bach