Redlands Christian Migrant Association Leadership Academy in Wimauma faces some unique challenges in providing quality education to the children of migrant farm workers and rural families.  Many of the students in the school were born in the United States and have parents who originally emigrated from Mexico and Central America.

The school found that some of the kids and parents were having difficulty communicating with one another and this was contributing to family conflict, increased stress, and academic and behavioral problems. The faculty was able to identify a significant cultural and language gap between the kids and their parents. At a time when adolescents need their parents' support and guidance more than ever, the young students - especially the teens - were feeling frustrated and isolated.  

It's not uncommon for parents and teens to have different perspectives and endure the traditional "generation gap", but in Wimauma, the parents were holding close to the culture and language of their native country, while their kids were drawn to American culture and the English language. The families were dealing with the stress of two "worlds" dwelling under the same roof.

The school reached out to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay's Family Stabilization department to work with faculty, students and parents. A bilingual, 14 week Strengthening Families Program was put in place that provided the families with skills pertaining to effective communication, stress reduction, family bonding, and conflict resolution.

The program helped improve family communication and allowed the family members to find common ground.  At school, there was a noticeable increase in positive behaviors by the students and teachers attributed these positive changes to the skills taught by the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Your support allows the Crisis Center to help hurting people regardless of income, language, or cultural background. If you're interested in learning more about how the Crisis Center helps people in their time of crisis, please consider taking a tour. You can learn more about Crisis Center tours by clicking HERE.

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