One thing is certainly clear, and that’s that a lot of us need a guidebook or class on how to be a good parent. No one has all the answers as to how to do that very critical job, but one person who has a goal to better educate us as parents is 4th District Philadelphia City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr.
This Saturday, February 24, 2024, Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. is hosting a Parents University 2.0 event at the High School for the Future at 4021 Parkside Avenue in West Philadelphia. It’s an all-day program starting at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 3:00 p.m. Parent University 2.0 is an event intended to help parents navigate the resources available to them. The day will include interactive workshops, resource vendors, retail vendors, a high school and college fair, panel discussions, a kids zone, and much more.
Councilman Jones shared this about the innovative program. “When you look back at the Blueprint for A Safer Philadelphia and peel the onion layers back, what you find out is that often violence committed by some people has to do with the way in which they were brought up. When I was growing up, I was brought up in a single-parent home with our mother, but I was lucky enough to have a father who was active in our family relationship. That provided me with guidelines, guardrails, and some structure to become a better human being. I knew if I acted-up too bad, I was going to get a visit from Pop.”
Jones added, “Today, things are a little bit different for a lot of parents. There are a lot of stressors, and there are not as many traditional families as there once were to provide that guiding light on how to raise your kids. Some of our parents out here don’t know what they don’t know. It’s not enough to want to be your children’s friend. Knowing how to do the latest Tik-Tok dance with your child isn’t as important as structure. Children want structure. Children want that kind of proven love that you get through a parent. Parent University 2.0 is an offshoot of what was an initiative by the School District of Philadelphia to provide parents with resources to help with homework, extracurricular school activities, and more. We’ve come to realize we need a little more. Parent University, is designed to provide access to resources to impact our families.
Just to give our SCOOP Newspaper Readers a sense of what some of the workshops will be about, here’s a partial list.
One workshop is entitled The Power of Words. Parents have got to stop cussing at their children and speaking to them in a derogatory way. Empowering Parent Liaisons is the title of another workshop. What Do You Do When The Shooter Lives With You? That is going to be an extremely powerful workshop.
Knowing What Your Rights Are As A Parent is another of the workshops. Breaking the Barriers, Overcoming Absenteeism, is the title of another of the workshops that will be offered on Saturday.
One more workshop I have to share with our SCOOP Readers is entitled When Grandparents Do The Second Tour of Duty. There will be a panel discussion on 21st Century Careers. The Department of Human Services (DHS) will be participating in Parents University 2.0, and they’ll have an area called Parents Café. Parents can come in and out of that area all day long, according to Councilman Jones.
Here’s a wonderful, positive twist to Parents University 2.0. If you come out and participate and stay all day for the whole program, as you are leaving at 3:00 p.m. the first 100 people who registered will receive one of the following complimentary gifts: A brand new crock pot, a tablet, a $50 gift card to Shop Rite, or a ring doorbell. Not bad at all–for spending a portion of your day learning all kinds of useful information on how to become better stewards over our children, grandchildren, and other youth we may have in our care.
For mothers who have infants or young babies, be sure to stop by Councilman Jone’s Exhibit tables. They will be offering complimentary baby diapers and baby formula. Also, the Share Food program will be there–giving out food boxes at the end of the day while supplies last. Confirmed participants include City and state resources, the Department of Human Services, Domestic Violence organizations, JEVS, Department of Behavioral Health, the School District of Philadelphia, local and state colleges and universities, and representatives from community stakeholders.
This event is free and open to the public. However, to RSVP is very helpful so the Councilman and his staff know how many program booklets to print, how many box lunches to plan for, etc. RSVP by calling the Councilman’s office at 215-686-3416. Also, if you have a copy of the flyer about Parent University 2.0, there’s a QR Code on the flyer. If you have a smartphone, you can take a photo of the QR Code, and it will take you to a site where you can preregister to attend Parent University through your cell phone.
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