ICM General Santos Expands Family Academy Program with New Coaches

About Family Academy

Family Academy is ICM’s innovative parent-child community coaching program that trains and empowers parents to be their children’s first teachers. The program addresses a critical need in ultra-poor communities, where only 17% of parents graduated from high school and most families don’t own a single children’s book.

The ten-week program provides families with:

• Trained coaches who conduct parent-child learning sessions
• Learn-through-play math and literacy games
• Colorful math and phonics flash cards
• Educational games that continue at home
• Proven parenting skills for mothers and fathers

Proven Results

Family Academy has demonstrated remarkable success in preparing children for school. Graduates consistently show significant improvements in math and phonics proficiency scores, giving them the foundation they need to succeed academically.

Currently, ICM has 734 active Family Academy coaches working across our regions, with 2,309 families currently enrolled in the program. To date, 19,125 children have graduated from Family Academy.

Beyond improving test scores, Family Academy positively changes both parents’ and children’s attitudes toward learning and their educational interactions. Parents gain confidence in their ability to teach, while children develop a lifelong love of learning.

This expansion in General Santos represents an important step in ICM’s mission to provide quality early childhood education to children living in ultra-poverty, setting them on a path toward a brighter future.

Report & photos by Baltazar Navilla