TAMPA, Fla. — The application period for the parent school partnership program for Hillsborough County Schools is now open, with an added winter course kicking off on Dec. 10.

What You Need To Know

  • Hillsborough County's parent school partnership program in opening a new winter course on Dec. 10

  • The program helps educate parents on the school system and how to get involved

  • Yolanda Eugenia Fuentes Diaz took the course and is now a Spanish bilingual education paraprofessional

  • Registration for the nine-week course is still open and is held virtually at 10 a.m.

The course is offered in Spanish and English, and it teaches parents about the school system and how to be involved. 

“This website has the platform that contains the programs I use on a day-to-day basis,” said Yolanda Eugenia Fuentes Diaz, a Spanish bilingual education paraprofessional. “It’s like I am taking sixth grade all over again, because those are the students that I help.”

When she’s not in the classroom with students, she’s following up with emails to their parents.

It’s a job that Diaz says wasn’t easy to obtain, especially after immigrating to this country three years ago.

“I get emotional when I see pictures from Mexico,” she says as she looks at pictures from her home country.

She holds these pictures close to her heart after leaving loved ones to provide a better life for her children. Diaz said navigating life here has been difficult, but participating in the parent school partnership program has given her comfort in a new place. 

“I like that the school system here can count on support from the state and federal level, which means there are a lot more resources for students here and for my children,” she said.

The program provides that support for Spanish-speaking families who may be facing communication barriers.

“The expectations, the standards, the importance of how to communicate with your teacher, knowing who all the key people are in your school —all of this is new information for all of our parents,” Jessica De La Prida, community and outreach coordinator for the program, said.

The courses are online, but parents can become facilitators to help establish in-person PSP courses at their schools. Right now, only three schools host the program in-person.

For Diaz, it’s taught her how to take charge of her child’s education, but also opened the door to a position where she can help teach the English language to students.

“It takes a lot of patience to get here, but I love the children who I help,” she said.

She’s adjusting to a new life while also breaking barriers to help her Spanish-speaking community.

Registration for the nine-week course is still open and is held virtually at 10 a.m.