Turning the Page (TTP) believes that families play a vital role in their children’s education. Engaged parents are powerful partners to schools and communities. In addition to providing academic support, they advocate for access to quality resources for their school community. This school year at Turning The Page, we launched a brand new program to support our efforts in increasing parent engagement. Recognizing that parents are the child’s first and forever teachers, one-on-one coaching empowers parents to empower their children.
First & Forever
In Chicago, Jenn Oswald and Jen Morse are our veteran educators and parent engagement specialists. They lead the coaching sessions to give parents the push to raise the best learner they possibly can. In the First&Forever program, parents get five one-hour coaching sessions per year. Additionally, there is an option to meet with whatever fits their schedule, including at the schools we partner with or at our office.
“We already know two things: that raising learners is hard work and that no two parents are exactly alike – they’re all coming into our programming with their own concerns, goals, and expertise,” says Oswald. “Through the First & Forever program, we’re able to take the best parts of Community Nights (tangible tips for getting students to enjoy reading, accessible resources, and friendly faces) and individualize them. Our sessions take raising learners one step at a time – talking through challenges and brainstorming manageable solutions as we help fill our parent’s at-home learning toolbox.”
Above all, these sessions can have dramatic results. For instance, studies show that these strategies lead to higher:
- Reading levels
- 8th grade graduation rates
- 12th grade graduation rates
- Success in college and career
One-On-One
“Parents are one of the most important pieces of the education puzzle, but they generally receive the fewest resources and the least support,” says Morse. “Raising learners is incredibly hard work, and every child has unique strengths and presents different challenges. By meeting with parents one-on-one for five hour-long sessions, we know we can provide parents valuable space and time to be thoughtful and intentional about how they raise their learners, to reflect and wonder about what strategies are working, and to explore new options that will work well for their individual kids as they grow and change.”
Parents also earn First & Forever points where families can win prizes such as books for their family library, passes to museums, dessert at Community Nights, and much more just by reaching family reading goals. But don’t take our word for it! Hear from our current parents on the benefits of joining First & Forever Coaching:
Click here to learn more about Turning The Page and we support our families. Want to support family engagement workshops like these? Consider a donation today!