We are beyond thrilled to share that George Vega, Parent Educator with Turner Parents as Teachers, was named as a Parent Educator of the Year! Parents as Teachers is the largest evidence-based early childhood home visiting model in the country, and Turner USD 202 is fortunate to have this program as part of our district. Vega has been with Turner Parents as Teachers for seven years.

Parent Educators support caregivers as their child's first and best teacher, providing coaching and goal-setting tools, developmental tips, resource connections, and community engagement. Home visiting professionals earn the Parent Educator of the Year distinction for their outstanding service in areas like engaging and retaining families, cultural competency and respect, leadership and team spirit, community impact, and professional development.

"When our program launched four bilingual parent classes focused on Conscious Discipline, George quickly stepped up to lead," shared Ashley Copple, who oversees Turner Parents as Teachers. "Despite discovering that no translated materials existed in Spanish, he developed and delivered each session from scratch - creating presentations, sourcing videos, and preparing handouts to ensure accessibility for all families." This is just one of many examples of how Vega supports our Parents as Teachers families.

About Parents as Teachers, Vega shared, “The Parents as Teachers program is important because it improves child development and family well-being by providing evidence-based support, educating parents on early childhood development, and connecting them with community resources. It helps increase children's school readiness and academic success, detects developmental delays, and promotes better health outcomes for both children and parents.”

He added, "I find it rewarding when parents become confident in their skills, and I get to see them grow as a family. I am proud to be a representative of Turner USD 202 and Parents as Teachers especially to represent my culture, and also break the barriers of being a male home visitor."

Congratulations to George Vega on this well-deserved recognition!