The flyer from the most recent "Parent University" night at Ben Hill Middle School. The theme was "Peace, Love & Parent Power." Photo courtesy Communities In Schools of Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County.
When students walk through the classroom doors on the first day of school, their minds are loaded with questions. What’s my teacher like? Am I going to have a really busy schedule? How much homework am I going to get every night?
But students aren’t the only ones starting the new school year with a million questions. Parents also have a ton of questions, and want to know the best ways they can help their children succeed.
Communities In Schools of Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County, Ga., gets parents answers and encourages them to get involved in their children’s education through a “Parent University” program. In cooperation with Ben Hill Middle School, parents are invited to Parent University to meet teachers, ask questions, learn about clubs their children can join and learn how they can support Communities In Schools.
Ben Hill Middle School and Communities In Schools of Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County host Parent University on a quarterly basis, so if a parent can’t make it due to work, having to care for family or other obligations, there will still be other opportunities to attend.
“It’s really important for us to have events like Parent University,” said Becky Gay, executive director of Communities In Schools Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County. “Before this program, we struggled to get parents to participate in different activities for their children. At Parent University this August we had 70 parents show up, and lots of them expressed interest in different programs and events. Parent University is important because it lets adults know that they are welcome to get involved in events year-round.”
Communities In Schools knows that one of the keys to helping a child succeed is the involvement of his or her family. And by reaching out directly to families through programs like Parent University, our affiliates are making sure that families are there every step of the way to help their children graduate and have bright futures.
