LA PUENTE, CA – Sixty Bassett Unified School District parents graduated from an eight-week program where they learned about university entrance requirements, financial assistance for tuition and other subjects that will help prepare their children for higher education.

Lizette Vega, who has two children attending Bassett High School as a freshman and a senior, graduated with her peers from the Parent Institute of Quality Education (PIQE) program Oct. 20. She looked forward to receiving her PIQE certificate of completion, which provides priority admission to all California State Universities for children of PIQE graduates who complete the minimum requirements upon high school graduation.

“This certificate will help my son and daughter when they apply to Cal States,” Vega said. “I feel empowered as a minority to have this opportunity for my children.”

PIQE workshops covered the importance of grade point averages, higher education options and what classes are needed for entrance to colleges and universities. Parents participated in open discussions on each topic and received advice from each other and the PIQE moderators.

PIQE workshops included a morning and evening Spanish class and one evening English class. Edgewood Academy parent Caroline Aguirre’s sixth-grade son would ask her what she learned every Thursday night from the workshops.

“I always told my son, ‘Good grades will get you a better future,’ and he was always a good student so I never worried about his academics,” Aguirre said. “But PIQE opened my eyes to other steps necessary for college admission, and it helped my son and me create a plan that extends through high school that will help him get there.”

Graduates are eligible to enroll for a second year in the program with workshops concentrating on leadership while providing a more in-depth exploration of information taught in the first series.

“Bassett Unified values the partnership between our administrators, teachers and parents and recognizes the importance of these roles in supporting the achievements of our students,” Superintendent Dr. Alex Rojas said. “PIQE is an opportunity for parents to learn how to be an advocate for their children and support their journey to college.”

For information on PIQE enrollment and upcoming workshops at Bassett High School, contact THINK Together high school facilitator, Adrian Arvizu at (626) 863-2232 or bassetths.busd@thinktogether.org.

PHOTOS:

102116_BASSETT_PIQE1: Sixty Bassett Unified parents graduate from the Parent Institute of Quality Education, an eight-week program geared toward informing parents about how to prepare their children for higher education.

102116_BASSETT_PIQE2: Bassett High School parent Lizette Vega learns about financial assistance for higher education tuition for her son and daughter as part of the Parent Institute of Quality Education eight-week program.