Maria Teresa Torres. Courtesy photo
OXNARD — Maria Teresa Torres, a parent and volunteer, has received The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation’s prestigious Halo Award for her outstanding service with El Centrito Family Learning Centers, the organization reported this week in a media release.
For her work training parents to guide their children to higher education and become community leaders, Torres was selected from among 140 applications and becomes the foundation’s first awardee in Ventura County.
“Maria has taught El Centrito the value of volunteers and has inspired us to see the profound need to build opportunities for volunteer leadership throughout our educational and leadership services. Maria deserves the recognition for her commitment and demonstrates the impact of volunteerism in our community,” said Joseph Castañeda, executive director of El Centrito.
El Centrito Family Learning Centers is known for high-quality, family-centered educational and leadership programs, and partners with donors and volunteers to fulfill the promise of its mission: “El Centrito is committed to create a multicultural community of excellence by inspiring children, youth, and families to learn, lead, and reach their greatest potential.”
The award also grants $20,000 to El Centrito Family Learning Centers to further develop its thriving volunteer program, and allows the agency to recreate the volunteer partnership that the organization has established with Torres and other community members. El Centrito was recognized for having thoughtful strategies to strengthen and sustainably grow their volunteer program.
Torres has dedicated herself to lead her peers and give them the tools to support their children navigate towards educational and professional success, contributing more than 1,000 volunteer hours over the last five years. Torres began as a participant in an El Centrito program, where she received guidance in supporting her son’s learning from preschool teachers, while she dedicated herself to learn English.
During the program year, Torres and other parents noted that the positive impact of strong parent involvement during children’s preschool years faded during the K-12 years, and that parents, especially those who did not speak English, often did not have the information necessary to support their children’s academic success. Parents, including Maria Teresa Torres, identified a variety of barriers that inhibited parent engagement and launched the “Padres Promotores de la Educación” project, El Centrito’s parent leadership and college attainment project. Torres remains an inspirational and influential role model for parents and volunteers in the Promotores project, and our whole community.