Natalia Plaisant
Natalia Plaisant heard about AVANCE 18 years ago when she first arrived in the United States. At the time, she wasn’t interested in attending parenting classes. But in 2022, when her daughter Ariadna was 16 months old, she finally decided to try PCEP.
When Natalia began classes, she didn’t know what the program had to offer and had no idea what to expect from PCEP. But she learned so much that she realized she had been wrong about the program all along. Through PCEP, Natalia gained the tools to become a better mother and learned how to talk with her children, be present with them, and support them. She also thoroughly enjoyed hand-crafting educational toys, something she had never done or even thought to do before. Looking back on her experience and the happiness it has brought her, Natalia says from the bottom of her heart that if she could go back in time, she would have attended PCEP when she first heard of AVANCE. Still, Natalia is now more confident in using everything she learned to build a better future for her family, Ariadna, and her older children.
Ariadna similarly had a positive experience, thanks in large part to the support she received from her teachers in the program. Ariadna learned animal sounds and the parts of the body. She can’t quite pronounce the names of animals yet, but she can identify them by the sounds they make. Now two years and three months old, Ariadna is no longer in diapers and already talks to her mother using the handful of words she knows.
While Natalia is taking the opportunity to follow alongside Ariadna as she learns new things, she is also planning for her family’s future. Among those plans are personal goals, including taking English classes once Ariadna enters Preschool. Natalia wants Ariadna to grow up healthy in a home full of love and happiness and to have the best learning opportunities. And thanks to PCEP, Natalia has the knowledge and tools to nurture Ariadna’s growth and development and to provide support as her daughter builds the confidence to explore everything the world has to offer.