I joined the MASFEC team last summer, tasked with building a team of diverse and multi-lingual parent leaders working improve access to career and technical education. (More on this project below!) It's such a gift to get to know these individuals and learn from them about their communities.

Their collaborative efforts remind me of a supervisor who liked to say, "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." In family engagement terms, sharing information and sharing power doesn't mean giving anything up. Like one candle lighting another, our combined energies shine even brighter than we would on our own.

This is a time of year and a time in our history when nights are long and the days feel dark. Countless cultures and faiths teach us to look for the light that breaks through the darkness. Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa: these winter holidays invite us to gather around candles and lamps as we connect with one another.

Who are the brightest lights in your life? Whose energy and fire sparks hope within you? For me, there are so many examples among the anti-racist educators, community advocates, and caregiver leaders I've had the privilege to work with.

When we work together, all children can thrive. And, we get to be enriched by knowing one another.

From all of us at MASFEC, we wish you peace, joy, and (as always) self-care during this holiday season!

During adolescence, young people’s brains experience rapid growth. This is especially true in middle school. Tweens are hungry for new challenges but are also still developing the judgment and maturity they need to accurately assess and react to risk. As young people continue to grow, parents and caregivers notice that the rules and discipline methods need to change too.