King’s Project Tackling Educational Inequality Wins Award for Community Contribution
Parent Power empowers parents and carers through training in community organising techniques to identify and lead campaigns, in turn bringing about social change in local areas.
King’s, Citizens UK and parent leaders meet periodically to discuss issues affecting the lives of families such as youth violence, immigration status or cost of living, and identify actions for change.
Parent Power’s most significant campaign to date secured a child citizenship fee waiver for families who cannot afford it, as well as for children in care. The campaign was launched by Citizens UK nationally after Parent Power members highlighted that being unable to afford citizenship application costs meant their children had to pay international student fees and could not go to university, despite having studied at UK schools and completed their GCSEs and A-levels.
Other campaigns led by parents include a social mobility strategy to improve educational outcomes and university access in Lambeth, community co-creation of mental health support with Chairs of local Mental Health Trusts and Integrated Care Boards, and adoption of the Real Living Wage across London.
We are delighted that Parent Power has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to the local community. Evidence shows that more engaged parents lead to better educational outcomes for learners. In Parent Power, a group of parents from our local communities have created campaigns that transform lives by raising the issues that matter to them and using community organising to power real change.
Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President (International, Engagement & Service)
Following the success of Parent Power, the group launched a second Spanish-speaking branch at King’s called Empoderando Familias. Doris Chauca, who is a member of Empoderando Familias, picked up the London Higher award alongside Isabel Fernandez-Moreno, Social Mobility Community Organiser at King’s.
The Parent Power model has been extended nationwide by The Brilliant Club, which has established seven Parent Power chapters across the country in Fenland, Cardiff, Knowsley, East Oxford, East London, Mansfield and Peterborough.
London Higher is a membership organisation for universities and higher education colleges across the capital.
As well as the award for outstanding contribution to the local London community, King’s was shortlisted for several awards including the Healthcare partnership of the year award for the ‘Mind of the Matter’ mental health expertise series, and for Best entrepreneurial initiative at a London university for London Demo Day, an investor engagement programme in partnership with Imperial, LSE and UCL. The Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care at King’s (NMPC) was also shortlisted for the award for outstanding contribution to sustainability leadership in London (initiative or partnership) for its embedded sustainability principles.
Parent Power is a flagship example of King’s longstanding collaboration with Citizens UK. To strengthen the impact we have in partnership, King’s has launched One King’s Impact Fund, to support projects aimed at generating positive impact on critical global challenges.
Learn more about Parent Power and One King’s Impact Fund.