In April of 2007, PrYSM began a campaign to get more translation and interpretation services from the Providence Public School Department. Southeast Asian youth experience some of the highest dropout rates in the city. It is PrYSM's view that the communication gap between schools and parents is one factor influencing Southeast Asian students' school experiences. Currently, basic documents such as report cards, the code of conduct, and field trip permission slips remain untranslated. Often, Southeast Asian parents do not take part in parent-teacher conferences or parent engagement efforts because of the language barrier that exists between the home and school. Title vI of the 1964 civil Rights act states that “districts have the responsibility to adequately notify national origin minority group parents of school activities which are called to the attention of other parents. Such notice in order to be adequate may have to be provided in a language other than English.” Southeast Asians have been around for 30 years. We are important contributors to Providence and to Rhode Island, and it is time for the school system to treat us with respect! If you are interested in helping out with the campaign, please call PrYSM at 383-7450 or email us at oc@prysm.us.