The Foothill-DeAnza Community Colleges Foundation was incorporated in 1997 as a public benefit corporation. It was organized to operate for the advancement of education, providing financial support to students. Founded in 2010, the Family Engagement Institute, a program of Foothill, provides family support and parent and adult education services to families in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

This grant supports the Family Engagement Institute’s programs for underserved, low-income families, and professional development for educators and providers of children ages 0-8. Key activities will promote school readiness, workforce preparedness and pathways to postsecondary education. Working in a multi-generational model that simultaneously promotes child and parent/caregiver learning and well-being, the Family Engagement Institute strengthens the capacity of families, schools, and communities to build engagement strategies to ensure educational equity for the success of all students.

This effort serves a predominantly immigrant population and approaches family engagement as a dual-capacity endeavor in which both families and educators share responsibility for partnering with one another.