Through our College Readiness Parent Institute, our mission is to involve Black families earlier in the college going journey. We have seen firsthand how untreated stress, depression, anxiety, and racial trauma among parents hinder their ability to support their children’s education and futures. In response, we developed two new workshops - Managing the Stress and Anxiety of the College Application Process and A Mindful Approach to Navigating the Financial Aid Process - to address the emotional needs of our parents. We are seeking to empower Black families through education and mental wellness.
Black parents in Montgomery County are navigating systemic racism, economic strain, and educational pressures, often in isolation, and with limited trust in traditional systems of care, because mainstream mental health systems have often failed to meet the cultural and emotional needs of Black communities. The need for culturally relevant mental health intervention has never been greater. Our model of culturally rooted engagement, parent-centered programming, and wellness-integrated education, empowers families by giving Black parents space to share their stories of resilience and advance the Justice Fund’s to support Black solutions to Black challenges.
