Building Bridges for Family Engagement
Dulce Galicia Represents FIERCE Advocates in New Orleans
In early October, Dulce Galicia, Policy Advocacy & Organizing Manager at FIERCE Advocates, headed to New Orleans for the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) conference. While she had visited the Crescent City before, this trip was different. It was her first time representing FIERCE Advocates on a national stage.
About NAFSCE
NAFSCE advances high-impact policies and practices to promote child development and improve student achievement. Their vision is a world where family engagement is universally practiced as a key strategy for improving children’s learning and advancing equity.
For Dulce, the conference was a chance to connect with national leaders and bring new ideas back to strengthen FIERCE’s work in Contra Costa County.
Immersed in Learning and Connection
From the moment she arrived, Dulce dived into the energy of the conference. She attended every policy workshop she could and eagerly gathered strategies to support families and students. But what made the biggest impression were the people she met.
“My biggest takeaway was connecting with the California Coalition for Family Engagement,” Dulce reflected. “It reminded me that collaboration is where real change begins. I was looking for our national partners in California and I found them.”
These new connections have already opened doors. Back home, Dulce has been welcomed into new meeting rooms where she will help advance a more just and inclusive education system for families across the state.
Inspiring Leadership and Community Voices
The conference also sparked a deeper realization. Dulce saw that FIERCE is ready to lead national conversations about family engagement. She began envisioning a panel of graduates from the Community Education Leadership Institute (CELI), parents and everyday leaders sharing how the program has shaped them, prepared them to serve on boards and commissions, and amplified their voices in community decision-making.
“We’ve been preparing everyday leaders to take their seat at the table,” Dulce said. “It’s time for others to hear their stories because their voices are shifting conversations and influencing where resources go.”
Learning from Stories Across the Country
Dulce attended a moving session featuring a panel of Black and Brown women from Tennessee. These women came together to support their children’s success in math and, through honest dialogue, began bridging cultural divides in their community.
They spoke openly about the challenges of working in a region where segregation and racism still cast long shadows. Through empathy and shared purpose, they discovered common ground:
“We’ve got each other, sisters, we’ve been there. Tennessee still feels like the 1920s trying to divide us.”
For Dulce, their words reaffirmed the power of policy, advocacy, and organizing, and the potential of FIERCE’s Sanctuary Groups to create long-term strategies for cultural bridging as it relates to education.
Celebrating Joy and Belonging
Anyone who knows Dulce knows her warmth and laughter can fill a room. As a proud Carnavalera, she joined the NAFSCE second line parade, singing, dancing, and celebrating through the streets of New Orleans.
The parade carries deep cultural meaning. It is a way for Black communities in New Orleans to claim space and assert belonging in places where they have historically been excluded.
On her flight home, Dulce reflected on how joy, belonging, and bridge-building are at the heart of meaningful organizing. Her experience reminded her, and all of us, that creating joyful spaces where everyone belongs is essential to sustaining justice work.
From New Orleans to Contra Costa, Dulce’s journey embodies the spirit of FIERCE Advocates, building connections, sharing power, and championing families as the true drivers of educational change.
