Student Essays Published in Newspaper Austin Learning Academy students recently submitted essays to The Change Agent: An Adult Education Newspaper for Social Justice. For some, this was their first attempt at writing in English while for others, it was their very first attempt at an essay altogether. Of the 31 ALA students who submitted essays, five had their submssions selected for publication: Irene Benitez, Erika Fokken , Magdalena Gonzalez, Maria Pastrano and Silvia Rivera. Click here to read all 31 essays All of the students, including those from other learning organizations around the country, were asked to write about issues surrounding immigration and caring for their own children; they were able to choose from a list of six topics:

1. Many people, especially immigrants, are here without any family support. How is their parenting affected by immigration and separation?

2. What differences have you experienced between parenting in your home country vs. parenting in the U.S.?

3. It can be difficult for both kids and parents when kids are asked to use their language skills to translate or participate for parents in adult interactions. How do kids experience this? How do parents feel about it?

4. Write about how you rely on your community, friends and family to help you out when you need support. What can we do to create more support among these people in our lives?

5. How do parents manage the stress of balancing work demands and family life? Are their employers supportive of their needs for flexibility? Since most parents face similar difficulties in this balance, what should be done? How can this problem be solved on a societal level?

6. Write about your experiences trying to create better environments for your children, what you learned and why it was important to you. Examples might include things like clearing empty lots, getting soda out of schools, getting community gardens in your neighborhood, and others.