Migrant Parent Conference to Feature
‘Guardian Angel’ of Colombia

SAN JOSE, CA – Albiero Vargas, creator of the Guardian Angels network of care for the elderly, will be the featured speaker at the Third Annual Migrant Parent Conference on Saturday, January 23, at the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

About 300 participants from six counties are expected to attend the conference, which will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the COE, 1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose. The event is focused on increasing parent involvement in the education of their children.

As a Colombian youth from a poor family, Vargas dedicated himself to helping elderly shut-ins who had been abandoned by their families. He organized squads of children to care for them, and managed their medical and legal affairs as well as the finances of the organization he created. His story was recounted in the PBS Television documentary, “Little Angel of Colombia.”

Today, his Guardian Angels program continues to train Colombian children to care for elderly residents in nursing homes, creating contact and understanding between generations. He is an advocate for national policy reform to support the needs of elderly. Vargas was elected in 2006 to be an Ashoka Fellow. The global association supports individuals who find solutions to the world’s most urgent social problems.

The COE’s Migrant Education program is designed to provide supplementary services to eligible migrant students. The program helps students to overcome education disruptions and language barriers and prepares them to transition to post-secondary education or employment.

Date last updated: January 19, 2010