CHESTER, PA– November 21, 2022 – The Chester Upland School District (CUSD), in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Chester, Chester Biddy Basketball, and 21st Century Chester, welcomed more than 100 local families to their annual Youth and Family Summit on Saturday at STEM Academy High School.
This year’s event focused on providing families with health and wellness information. Several vendors were in attendance, including representatives from the Chester Education Foundation and Harcum College.
Michelle Jackson, Community Outreach Coordinator for DELCORA, attended the event on behalf of her company and used an interactive exhibit to help families understand how wastewater travels.
The summit also featured a packed morning itinerary for families ranging from breakfast to Zumba, and breakout sessions with guest speakers for teenage boys and girls called Barbershop and Beauty Shop Talk, Home Access Training for parents led by members of Parent University, and Chester Biddy Basketball camps.
“It was great to see so many people come out to this event,” said Dr. Craig Parkinson, Superintendent of Schools for Chester Upland School District. “This was a great representation of the community. I especially liked participating in the barbershop talk with our young men.”
The barbershop and beauty shop breakout sessions were added to the summit’s agenda last year to allow teenage students an opportunity to speak with adults in a small group setting about issues relative to their gender and social and emotional well-being.
Ebony Gordon, a Chester native and mother of two CUSD children, reflected on the day’s activities. “I think it was amazing. It was a good experience for the children,” said Gordon. “I liked that the older men got to talk to the younger boys because a lot of boys don’t have male role models. We need more events like this for the community and young kids.”
To round out the day, families were offered a hot lunch as Dr. Marina Barnett, Associate Professor at Widener University, and Dana Bowser, Social Emotional Learning Coordinator for CUSD, presented data from the district’s Biannual Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) Report.
The day ended with several bike raffles. Each student also received a free winter jacket.
The district would like to thank all event partners, vendors, and speakers for helping to make the event a success.
