Students. Parents. Experts. Building a Parent Advisor program.

Students. Parents. Experts. Building a Parent Advisor Program in Postsecondary Institutions: By Student Parents, For Student Parents.

One in five college students is a parent. They are scholars who juggle course loads and diaper changes, often alongside job shifts and other caring responsibilities. Student parents face compounded challenges - up to 68% report facing housing instability, and nearly 60% work full-time while pursuing their degree. But they are also met with a huge opportunity: to improve not just their circumstances, but those of their children.

Ascend at the Aspen Institute's Postsecondary Success for Parents (PSP) initiative raises awareness of and shares recommendations to better support parenting college students. We work with systems, institutions, and students who are parents to ensure families have access to the resources necessary to achieve their educational goals, ultimately advancing their family’s economic mobility and well-being. To make postsecondary systems more accessible to student parents, we build partnerships that intentionally focus on children and the adults in their lives together - what's called the two-generation (2Gen) approach - and drive the development of champions that affect positive change for parenting students.

Integral to our work are Parent Advisors: students who are parents, sharing the challenges and joys they face navigating their postsecondary journey with children. Parent Advisors understand first-hand how to improve policies and programs for student parents. Their lived experiences in community colleges, universities, and workforce development programs inform Ascend’s strategies and affect our advocacy around systems change.

Our 2023 Parent Advisors are 11 current or recently graduated student parents who advised Ascend on policies and programs for over two years, including participating in convenings and speaking engagements focused on PSP and 2Gen work. In addition, Parent Advisors helped design the Ascend Parent-Powered Solutions Fund, a grant that supports postsecondary institutions and community-based organizations that focus on student parent success - ultimately choosing six organizations to receive technical assistance and funding from Ascend.

This guide details the impact and learnings from Ascend's PSP Parent Advisor program, as shared by our 2023 PSP Parent Advisor cohort, for organizations aiming to establish a space for student parents to co-create programs. Alongside the words of our PSP Parent Advisors, Ascend encourages interested parties to explore key learnings from two existing publications that focus on elevating the voices of parents and student parents:

When student parents thrive, children, families, and whole communities thrive as well. Investing in student parents and their success is investing in the future resiliency of the next generation, which promises a critical return on investment.
- Isis A. Patterson, Harvard Graduate School of Design (Photo credit: Daniel Ebersole)

The Ascend Parent Advisor Program

Prior to the formal launch of the Postsecondary Success for Parents (PSP) initiative, Ascend convened a cohort of 16 Parent Advisors — mothers and fathers still on their postsecondary journey (or recently graduated) — to serve as experts and influencers for our work. They joined a group of researchers, practitioners, and advocates for the first PSP initiative convening in July 2018 to launch this work and begin a yearlong landscape analysis of the opportunities and challenges for student parents, originally funded by Omidyar Network, which would later become Imaginable Futures. Ascend convened a second cohort of Parent Advisors in 2019 to develop programmatic and policy recommendations and guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of the first Parent-Powered Solutions Fund. Across all cohorts, Parent Advisors are representative of the demographics of students who are parents across the United States.

This latest cohort of 11 Parent Advisors (2023) advised PSP's ongoing work from 2023 - 2024 and led the Parent-Powered Solutions Fund (PPSF). The Parent Advisors’ passion and dedication in leading this initiative come from their lived experiences and a desire to see these innovations at and beyond their own institutions. They have been true leaders, working across governmental institutions, nonprofit organizations, school boards, equity initiatives, and postsecondary institutions to bring awareness to student parents’ needs, share their voice, and advocate for change for student parents. Now, as part of their commitment to ensure the sustainability of this work, the Parent Advisors collaborated with Ascend to create this guide by student parents, for organizations hoping to implement their own Parent Advisor program.

About the Parent-Powered Solutions Fund

Our Parent-Powered Solutions Fund (PPSF) was the first parent-led fund of its kind – designed, led, and evaluated by Ascend Parent Advisors and funded by Imaginable Futures. As stewards of the second iteration of the PPSF, Parent Advisors evaluated and selected six organizations who are actively advancing postsecondary success for parents to receive grants, peer-supported learning, and technical assistance to further support their innovative work. Learn more here.

“I can’t give my child what’s not available to me. Student parenting is a two-generational approach. When I succeed, my child sees that. When I fall short, my child sees that as well. Being able to give student parents resources that benefit not only them as an individual, but their children as an extension of them, is what drives my ambition for this Parent-Powered Solutions Fund.”
- Brittnee Marsaw, Family and Workforce Centers of America’s Skillup Program, via Ascend

PSP Parent Advisors Cohort III:
Accomplishments & Impact

Our most recent cohort of PSP Parent Advisors focused on student parents with young children. This diverse group has accomplished much over the past 2.5 years.

Program Impact: In The Words of the 2023 Parent Advisors

As we came to the end of our 2.5-year engagement, we asked the 2023 cohort of PSP Parent Advisors what they wanted to leave behind as their legacy. We asked what they wanted people to know about their experience and what they learned along the way. Their response was that they wanted funders and organizations to understand the importance of implementing parent advisors in their work and wanted to document the practices they found most impactful. Here is what our advisors said about their time with Ascend.

Photo credit: Ralph Alswang

Being able to hear testimonials and stories from student parents let me know that I wasn't alone in my education journey. For the first time in my education journey, I felt heard and listened to as I told my story, or when I was asked questions. Native Americans don't get many opportunities to participate in learning experiences such as this, I felt honored at every convening I attended. The difference it has made, is I have experience in grants now, I've made so many new friends near and far, and I can truly say I am an advocate for student parents in our tribal colleges across North Dakota."
- Nicole Alkire, Sitting Bull College (Photo credit: Lea Black)

"As we came together as Parent Advisors and shared our experiences as student parents, it never dawned on me that I had expertise as a student parent. As parents, we do what we have to do for our children, hardly ever stopping to think about what it is we do so naturally or truly giving ourselves the credit. It’s been heartwarming to be able to come together with other student parents and build a unique bond."
– Christian Ortiz, Hunter College, Snapshots in the Journey of a Student Father

"Ascend has transformed my life in countless ways. It has given me the confidence to speak up about the things I’m passionate about and even participate in panels to share my experiences and perspective on earning my degree.

Through this program, I’ve learned that I am the expert in my own life and that my voice truly matters. Ascend has also provided me with opportunities to travel to new places, and experiences I might not have had at this point in my life. It has allowed me to meet incredible people and gain insight into their diverse perspectives and experiences. I’ve made lifelong friendships that continue to enrich my life.

Most importantly, Ascend has shown me the value of empowering my children by teaching them that their voices matter, too. I want them to know they can achieve anything they set their minds to."
- Karlee Knuth, University of Texas at Tyler

"I just wanted even an ounce of the resources of student parents on my campus...so that's where it started, and then it really grew and I realized I was advocating for myself and this whole population of students - and then it just grew and grew."
- Jessica Engstrom, University of Michigan in "The Promise and Power of Postsecondary Parents"

"Becoming an Ascend Parent Advisor has been a transformative experience, shaping my life in ways I never imagined. Through this incredible organization, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of grant writing and how it directly impacts the programs that provide essential services to families like mine. Learning about the funding processes behind non-profit organizations has offered me a new perspective and appreciation for the support systems I rely on.

This journey has also expanded my network, connecting me with a diverse group of individuals and companies dedicated to making the educational path more accessible for student-parents. These connections have been invaluable, inspiring me to shift my academic focus from Psychology to Social Work—a field that aligns perfectly with my newfound passion for advocacy and systemic change.

The program has empowered me to initiate meaningful changes within my own educational institutions, striving to create a more supportive environment for families pursuing higher education. Beyond the practical skills I’ve acquired, this experience has offered me a profound insight into social systems—knowledge that transcends anything I could have learned solely in the classroom."
- Mikah Jorgensen, Northeastern Illinois University

"I wanted to go to school and I was always pushing myself to do it… these bumps on the road that made me feel like I couldn't do this and I shouldn't be here...[but] we already took all these risks before in the life that we used to live. Why can't we do the same thing for our education and bettering yourself?"

- Ignacio Angel Jr., Santa Monica Community College ("1 in 5" Podcast, Season 2, Episode 5); Photo credit: Courtney Coles

"Being a Parent Advisor completely changed my life. It showed, first and foremost, that not only is it possible to include (not just tokenize) the participation of those whose voices you want to uplift into the work and decision making directly, but when you center them in your work and co-create solutions with them, the solutions are much more dynamic, extensive, and transformational. It helped me develop relationships with my peers that will continue to grow forever, and will be colleagues and future changemakers. I feel more empowered that my voice matters and that it is important that I speak up and trust that I can also advocate for myself. I find that I am more informed about the many different experiences of student parents, and I am more convinced than ever before that student parents are not a monolith.

I also recognize that some states and localities are more resource rich with support for student parents and other states are resource poor and at a disadvantage of what they can offer student parents. This helped me to realize the need to continue to work with specific states/state legislatures and institutions to find ways to strategize and offer additional services to student parents. I feel more committed to this work than ever before. It is connected to everything (housing, healthcare, employment, education, wealth building). Ascend has supported me and given me the validation that I am an expert, and lifted me up and invited others to seek me out for my expertise and professional experience and education.

- Isis A. Patterson, Harvard Graduate School of Design (Photo credit: Daniel Ebersole)

Creating a Parent Advisor Program

Ascend's Parent Advisors are vital co-creators in our programs, policy and systems change practices, and funding. Our Ascending with Parents guide and Tapping the Talent of Student Parents playbook share tactics for centering parent voices - but our Parent Advisors had their own advice for other organizations hoping to create a Parent Advisor Program similar to Ascend's.

Photo credit: Dan Bayer for the Aspen Institute

Create Solidarity and Community

Parent Advisor programs create a crucial sense of community among student parents, combating the isolation they often experience.

"The Ascend Parent Advisors cohort has been a tremendous opportunity for student parents...to first and foremost connect with each other, and establish necessary solidarity...This solidarity that we have created amongst each other, inspires us all and allows us to feel energized and recommitted to our own individual journeys..." (Isis A. Patterson)

"Being able to hear testimonials and stories from student parents let me know that I wasn't alone in my education journey. I felt heard and seen." (Nicole Alkire)

"The most profound experience for me was seeing the faces of my cohort and hearing their stories—the journeys that led them to this shared space...Each person brought a unique blend of strength, resilience, and inspiration that deeply moved me." (Mikah Jorgensen)

"Be intentional. Understand that this work is complicated, so long term vision and commitment is important to guiding this work." (Isis A. Patterson)

Center Student Parent Voice

Our Cohort III Parent Advisors stress that student parents are the experts on their own experiences and should be central to the design and implementation of support programs.

"Keep student parents centered in every aspect of this work. We are the experts and we are willing to do the work as well, so work with us, not for us." (Isis A. Patterson)

"...the importance of having a parent advisor program... The impact it makes is directly coming from experience from the program advisors." (Nicole Alkire)

Utilize a Holistic and Family-Friendly Approach

Recognizing the challenges of student parenthood requires flexibility and inclusivity, including accommodations for child care and family needs.

"Ascend has done an incredible job of embracing this reality, especially by welcoming my daughter into the process. Without a traditional support system, I’m deeply grateful for their flexibility in allowing me to bring both my daughter and a caregiver to in-person events. This inclusive approach made it possible for me to fully participate and engage in this meaningful work." (Mikah Jorgensen)

Compensate your Expert Consultants

Compensate Parent Advisors the same way you would any other consultant you are working with on a project or a speaker you are booking for your big event. Student Parents are often working while going to school and taking care of their children. Whether it be a short blog post or a year long engagement, make sure you are compensating fairly for their limited time.

What Not to Do

Make Assumptions

Do not assume anything about a student parent and their situation or resources: "Listen to their needs or ask how you can support them best so that they can get the most out of their participation in the program. Ascend did not assume that we all had access to technology crucial for our participation within the program, so they provided us with technology stipends to help us purchase the equipment that we needed." (Isis A. Patterson)

Operate in a silo

Speaking and collaborating with other programs with parent advisors can ensure that your program is supporting student parents: "Rely on the support of programs that are already doing this work. Seek out their feedback and recommendations as to how you can also set up a program like this, and what is needed to ensure it is successful." (Isis A. Patterson)

Forget the "parent" part of student parents:

Include a child care aspect or stipend for student parents to attend convenings - a lack of doing so creates barriers for student parents with young children.

Encourage tokenism

Do not engage parent advisors for the purpose of sharing their story but focus on ways to meaningfully engage them in the work you are doing. Utilize their lived experience and treat them as the experts that they are.

Additional Recommendations

Emergency Funds: Establish an emergency fund to assist student parents facing unexpected financial hardships that could impact their ability to participate.

Intentionality and Long-Term Commitment: Approach this work with a long-term vision and a deep understanding of the complexities involved.

Mentor Model: Ascend matched parent advisors with parent advisor alum from previous cohorts. As Nicole Alkire suggests,"Make more of an accountability thing between the parent advisors and their parent advisor mentors. Having someone to piggyback information off of or give references when we needed help [was important]; although the Ascend team was always more than willing to help."

Training and Resources: Provide training and resources on policies, advocacy strategies, and communication skills to empower student parent advisors.

Cultural Competency: Promote cultural competency to ensure student parent advisors understand and respect diverse perspectives.

Continuous Feedback: Create opportunities for student parent advisors to provide feedback to continuously improve the program.