These vignettes and others comprise a series of public service announcements created by UC Davis and Bustos Media of Sacramento to help Latino parents prepare their children for college.
The campaign for Spanish-language radio stations emphasizes that children's school success depends on the trabajo de todos, or "the work of everyone" — the students, their families, teachers and the community. Each of the six 60-second-long spots suggests ways to help children become college-ready.
Angela Balderas, vice president of national sales for Bustos Media, said she believes the theme will resonate with Latinos who have a strong culture of work but might not see school as their children's first priority.
"Education is everybody's job," said Balderas, who wrote and produced the spots in collaboration with UC Davis.
Beginning March 31, Bustos will run the announcements three to five times a day for 12 weeks on its 22 Spanish-language radio stations. Locally, these include KBBA 103.3 serving Yuba City and Marysville, KTTA 94.3 and KLMG 97.9 in Sacramento, and KBBU 93.9 serving Modesto and Stockton. The spots will also be heard on stations serving Seattle, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, Portland, Ore., and Boise, Idaho.
UC Davis approached Balderas last fall with the idea for the campaign as another way for the campus to reach out to the community and help ensure that more Latinos become college-ready.
Today, Latinos make up 37 percent of the state population and represent close to half of all K-12 students. Yet, their dropout rates are disproportionately high and college-going rates low.
The research for developing the messages was provided by Elias Lopez, who tracks enrollment and other trends for UC Davis' Office of Campus and Community Relations as director of analysis and information services.
Access to higher education depends on students and their families understanding the importance of taking the right courses, getting good grades and meeting other admission requirements, Lopez said.
The radio campaign gives these families some concrete ways to help, he added.
For more on this story and other ways UC Davis is working to improve the college preparation of California's students, visit www.ucdavis.edu/spotlight/0310/its_a_family_affair.html.