FAQs

The “Para Una Buena Vida” campaign formally launches on Feb 16, 2008.  The major event of the campaign is the Feria Para Aprender on Feb 16, 2008 at the AISD Burger Center from 10 am - 3 pm.

The volunteers play a very important role in the success and effectiveness of the campaign. You can help deliver the campaign in your community by distributing the core marketing materials and structuring parent and student programs framed around the campaign’s key messages.

The campaign involves a large community effort of volunteers, non-profits, AISD and businesses.

The campaign's strategic plan has been funded by CommuniCard® , and this first regional launch is funded by CommuniCard® and the E3 Alliance.

The campaign messaging will be delivered through a series of PSAs, advertising, and non-profit educational channels wherever Spanish speaking parents and their children live, work, play, pray, or receive a social service. In addition to programs at the schools and nonprofits, you may see the messages in the form of bus billboards, highway billboards, or at your local McDonald's, grocery store, or banks.

Those that register to deliver the campaign in their communities will be given a “Para Una Buena Vida” packet of marketing materials on February 16th. This will include a core set of materials and reproducibles. You will also have the ability to download materials from the website www.ParaUnaBuenaVida.com beginning February 16th.

You can register here today at the E3 Blueprint for Change Session or online at www.ParaUnaBuenaVida.com beginning February 16th

There has been significant research applied in developing these messages and the look and feel of the campaign. It's important to not deviate, but keep the messages and their accompanying logos, graphics, and materials in tact.  On February 16, those that register to help deliver the campaign in their communities will be given corporate identity and messaging guidelines to follow in their “Para Una Buena Vida” packets.

Since 2000, the fastest growing student population in Texas is comprised of children whose family’s native language is Spanish. Many parents of these students are new to the US and are not aware of the benefits of completing high school and college.  This campaign communicates to these parents the economic and aspirational benefits of graduating from high school and college.

The research that Para Una Buena Vida is based upon is one market segment that represents 40% of the incoming pre-K student population in Texas, i.e. the immigrant parent who is not formally educated and is still aspirational for themselves and their children.  Research conducted over the past year in Central Texas showed that many parents were not familiar with US educational system norms and processes.  The educational systems and processes in many Spanish only speaking countries differ from the US system.  With the recent increase in the number of Spanish only speaking parents, the need was identified to communicate the importance of an education and the US educational system and processes to these parents. 

This campaign benefits everyone in the community; whether you have children in school or not. It offers hope and an incentive to everyone. 1,000 additional College graduates adds $1 Billion to the local economy over their lifetime. 1,000 more high school graduates adds $10 Million dollars to our local economy EACH YEAR. The first region to successfully educate its bilingual community gives it a “first mover” competitive advantage in the global economic market.

Absolutely.  Research shows that people who are bilingual have an advantage and not just in terms of communication skills. The bilingual brain develops more densely, giving it an advantage in various abilities and skills, according to new research. Researchers Andrea Mechelli of London's Welcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience and colleagues, including experts from the Fondazione Santa Lucia in Rome reported their findings in the October 2004 journal issue of Nature.

Testing the “providing for your family” message did not test well because people felt it implied they were not doing a good job providing for their family. Many felt their children did not finish high school because they were not providing for their family. For families who are working hard to improve their lives, a clear message of how to improve their financial earnings potential is easily understood.

Since September 2006, more than a thousand educational messages have been run in the Spanish print, TV and radio media. Deploying this distribution channel to reach the Spanish only speaking parent has yielded a four-fold increase in the “Back to School Bash” (600 to 2400 attendees), resulted in an attendance of over 3500 at the Feria Para Aprender (educational fair) and resulted in the highest Hispanic participation at a magnet school (50%+ Ann Richard School for Young Women Leaders).

Yes, this message is relevant to all. Parents who are familiar with the US educational system may already know the benefits of graduating from high school and college and do not need a special message campaign, even though the message is relevant to all.

http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/news_info/trends/ed pays 2007.pdf; http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa072602a.htm

• High School Diploma - High school graduates can expect, on average, to earn at least $1 million in lifetime income.

• Bachelor’s degree - Those with a bachelor's degree, $1.6 million over a lifetime.

• Masters degree - People with a master's degree earn $2 million in their lifetime.

• Doctoral degree - Persons with doctoral degrees earn an average of $3 million during their working life.

• Professional degree - Those with medical (MD) or legal (JD) degrees do best with an average of $4.4 million dollars in lifetime earnings.

HR websites and career sites such as monster.com cite the following information: a salary premium is paid in for people who are bilingual in targeted industries, which include Law Enforcement, medical professions and computer sales and support personnel.

There is a growing need across the US for bilingual speakers in English and Spanish. Outside the US, the global economic market is driving the need for fluency in English and the native language of large countries and markets.  The languages that are most in demand by business and the US government are Mandarin, Hindu, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.  (US Government Language Flagship Program, 2007 findings.)