The Power of Community Mobilizing for Family and Schooling

Fifteen years ago, Concha Delgado-Gaitan began literacy research in Carpinteria, California. At that time, Mexican immigrants who labored in nurseries, factories, and housekeeping had almost no voice in how their children were educated. Committed to participative research, Delgado-Gaitan collaborated with the community to connect family, school, and community thus giving birth to the Comitz de Padres Latinos. The Power of Community is a critical work that shows how communities that pull together and offer caring ears, eyes, and hands, can ensure that their children thrive--academically, socially, and personally. It offers a fresh approach and workable solution to the problems that face schools today.

Concha Delgado-Gaitan is the author of numerous books and articles on families and communities and the recipient of the George and Louise Spindler Award (2000) honoring her work in educational anthropology. She is currently an independent writer living in San Francisco