ScholarShare, California’s
529 College Savings Plan, and its program manager Fidelity Investments have
joined forces with the Early Academic Outreach Program to help fund the Family
Inclusion Initiative. The initiative consists of a series of workshops and
activities designed to empower parents to advise students about college
preparation.

The pilot program provides culturally relevant, multilingual
workshops and activities throughout the academic year that educate parents
about key information about college eligibility, financial aid and the
admissions process. EAOP’s Family Inclusion Initiative is also a partnership
between schools, districts and community groups to assist families in boosting
scholastic achievement.

“California’s
economy is becoming increasingly more competitive and good jobs increasingly
require a higher education,” said Bill Lockyer, California
state treasurer and chair of ScholarShare, in a press release. “That makes
college all the more important and the Early Academic Outreach Program provides
California’s youth with a
tremendous college planning resource. I’m proud to work with my alma mater, the
University of California,
to help deliver this vital program to deserving students throughout the state.”

Parent involvement in children’s education is positively
related to achievement, and the initiative’s events give parents who have
little experience dealing with college the information they need to guide their
children along a college path. EAOP, ScholarShare and Fidelity Investments have
said that the initiative is a vital strategy for supporting parents in their
efforts to close achievement gaps in California.