By Joshua Wolpe, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Mary Trujillo, 18, drops her 1-year-old son, Elias, at the early learning center on campus before each school day as she prepares to go to class. Without the Florence Crittenton School, and its capacity to provide an education and day care for teen mothers like Trujillo, her chances of being on the verge of holding a high school diploma would be greatly diminished.
Support in a tough time
The Florence Crittenton School is part of a Denver-based non-profit, Parent Pathways, which aims to help struggling teen families become productive members of the community.
In addition to their work with teen mothers, Parent Pathways provides parenting support for teen fathers through their Young Fathers Program. Teens who are forced to grow up so rapidly after the birth of a child, often in economically disadvantaged situations, can have difficulty finding support.
“Our students enroll at the time of pregnancy so they can earn a DPS (Denver Public Schools) diploma and have care for their babies,” said Lisa Hamm-Greenawalt, communications and outreach manager for Parent Pathways. “A huge percentage of our girls come from impoverished households, and those are the girls we’re trying to support.”
Team effort
Parent Pathways was officially formed in 1975, but its roots can be traced back to the late 1800s when the Florence Crittenton Home, a safe haven for unwed mothers, was created.
The school was created in 1981 through a collaboration with DPS and other community organizations to help teen mothers continue their education and earn credits toward a high school diploma.
Teachers have formed close bonds with the students considering their exposure to “real-life” issues that most high school students do not deal with.
“Sometimes you put the needs of the kids ahead of the class work,” said Brandy Chance, who teaches social studies and language arts at Florence Crittenton. “My job is part counseling — and depending on the issue, it lends itself to a lot of discussion. I love teaching there, I joke all the time that I get paid for this — it’s a great gig.”
Chance went on to describe a scene that played out during a student council meeting at the end of last year. One of the students was going through an extremely difficult time with her ex-boyfriend as she had just served him with a child support order.
“We were all discussing it — the teachers and the girls had input. These kids need financial support, and they don’t always have family support. There are a lot of days when stuff like that comes up.”
Critical time
Parent Pathways has served as a lifeline for many teen mothers including Trujillo, who is currently taking summer classes between her junior and senior years, as well as working 10 hours per week as an intern for Parent Pathways.
In August, she will have completed her third year at Florence Crittenton.
“It’s been great — they treat you how to be a parent, they care,” she said. “If it wasn’t for the early learning center, many girls couldn’t get an education. You can talk to the teachers about anything, they understand and they know where you come from. It’s different than any other high school.”
Both of her parents were incarcerated when her son was born. Trujillo, who now lives with her grandparents, will attend CEC Middle College in Denver next year and wants to become a nurse.
Chance, who just finished her fifth year teaching at Florence Crittenton, has no plans to leave anytime soon.
“It is so rewarding when you know that you’ve made a difference,” she said. “I think they (the students) really feel connected here, and it doesn’t end at graduation.”
Visit parentpathways.org for more information.
Distributed by Colorado Capitol Reporters
