This workshop is intended to teach parents and families how to help and understand their first-generation children. Important terms such as ‘first-gen’ and the effects of being ‘first-gen’ will be discussed, along with a guide on the kinds of resources that are available to students in college and where to find them. Questions such as ‘What is college?’, ‘How do I prepare to send my child to college?’, ‘Who are the people on campus that can help?’ and more will be answered. Come learn about all of the ways that you can be supportive as your first-gen child makes their way to college!

Date and Times: Thursday, May 2, 2024, 10:00-11:00 AM or 5:00-6:00 PM

Learn more here.

We often ask our students questions and are met with silence or short answers. How can we unlock meaningful conversations about their math experiences? In this session, you will learn more about asking the right questions and promoting math conversation and curiosity.

Date and Time: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 5:00-6:00 PM

Learn more here.

Family Academy: Courses and Training (FACT) offers FREE in-person and virtual workshops for families and School District of Philadelphia community members. Our workshops support personal growth, student success, and greater connections within our school communities and city.

This workshop is designed to address the needs of families that have children with learning disabilities. By helping caregivers gain new perspectives of the nuances of their child’s diagnosis and identify the who, what, where, to access appropriate resources we believe that this will encourage increased engagement by caregivers. An additional component the Engaging Excellence workshop will explore is the history, personal experiences, problems and solutions regarding learning disabilities, and how to determine children’s needs in school.

Date and Time: Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register.

Family Academy: Courses and Training (FACT) offers FREE in-person and virtual workshops for families and School District of Philadelphia community members. Our workshops support personal growth, student success, and greater connections within our school communities and city.

This workshop seeks to bring parents and children together by identifying how the trauma they have experienced or will experience is actually an opportunity for them to bond. This is a workshop for participants to express how they have dealt with or managed their trauma and stress and how this impacted their ability to communicate effectively with their children and then children are given the same opportunity to express their feelings. Using hands-on mindfulness activities families will get an opportunity to work on perspective shifting to understand one another better.

Date and Time: Saturday, February 17, 2024, 10:00 AM

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Looking for quick meal ideas that the whole family will enjoy? In this workshop we will explore ways to cut down on time when preparing meals! We will learn some food label basics and get some tips for making healthy food in a snap! You and your children can follow along as we make a meal together that you can taste and you will even receive a cooking utensil to take home with you!

Date and Time: Saturday, February 17, 2024, 10:00 AM

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Learn about trauma through general education, historical perspective, and evidenced-based interventions with a commitment to empowering attendees. Understand how trauma contributes to trends in our school communities such as poor school performance, substance use, violence, truancy, low parent engagement, and mental health challenges. Identify interventions designed to address trauma through a holistic approach focused on wellness. Assess your level of trauma and develop a personal wellness plan that includes evidence-based interventions to reduce trauma symptoms such as exercise, healthy distractions, and mindfulness practices.

Date and Times: Tuesday, February 13, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

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One of the most important tasks of parenthood is helping our children learn to deal with their emotions and stressors in their lives. Stressors within their family dynamic, community, academic and social settings. When children learn emotional regulation and coping strategies, it increases their resilience and ability to navigate challenges.

Date and Times: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

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Join us for “Gender, Identity, and Pronouns 101,” a transformative workshop designed to guide parents, caregivers, and community members through the evolving landscape of gender and identity. Learn key terms, explore the spectrum of gender presentation, and gain effective communication skills to better support and advocate for your child. Take away valuable resources for continued self-education and growth. Make your family’s journey one of understanding, respect, and empowerment.

Date and Times: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register.

Join us for Math is for Everyone! (Family Math Session 1).

Date and Times: Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register.

Want to know more about Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)? Interested in learning how the School District supports your child in this area? Join us to discover the SEL toolbox schools use for fostering social and emotional skills. Families and caregivers will gain an understanding of the toolbox and walk away with practical strategies to use with their children at home.

Date and time: Thursday, January 25, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register here.

This workshop talks about brain development in both infants and teens and how parents and the environment help shape its development. It focuses on the 5 major areas of the brain and what they control. It then goes into more depth to focus on the teenage brain and how it is still forming and growing and this affects decision making. It talks about where teenagers are emotionally based on their brain development and how we can support them by providing structure and guidance. The topic also touches on violence and stress and the effects that these have on brain development. A 3 minute Utube video is shared to help explain the topic.

Date and time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register here.

The following workshops will be offered in-person on Saturday, January 20, 2024, 10:00 AM at 440 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA:

• Nourish to Flourish: A Planting and Affirmation Workshop
• Fun with Shapes: Exploring the City with Your Child
• Autistic Artistic Arts: Communicating With Me Through Art
• My Kid is Doing WHAT?! Sex Ed for Parents of Teens
• Family Financial Reality Fair

Learn more and register.

Young people who have experienced foster or kinship care may qualify for additional financial aid programs to cover college expenses, but many students and resource families don’t know how to access them. We will review the process of applying for these grant and waiver programs, and also introduce attendees to the colleges with devoted programs to support young people with foster or kinship care histories.

Date and time: Thursday, January 11, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register here.

In this session, we aim to develop the assessment literacy of families so that they can make the most of their child’s data. Specifically, we will review the key assessments that your child is administered throughout the school year, and we will discuss how you can utilize the data from these assessments to support your child academically.

Date and time: Tuesday, January 9, 2024, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register here.

Each year, millions of students fill out the FAFSA to begin the process of obtaining financial aid for college or trade school. There are some major changes to this year’s FAFSA form. We will review these changes so you will be prepared to complete the form when it becomes available in December.

Date and Time: Tuesday, December 19, 2023, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

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Children are more likely to be confident, succeed at school and in life when they develop certain internal life skills that help them feel good about themselves and get along with others. These life skills include being respectful, considerate, having effective communication/social skills and being independent. At each stage, from infancy through to the teenage years, parents have an important role to help children develop these skills and reach their full potential.

Date and Time: Tuesday, December 21, 2023, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

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This workshop will consist of exercises that allow families to create collectively. We start with a warm-up that could be a stretch to relax the body and mind and get participants in the mood to improvise. Then, working in pairs or larger groups, we work on improv exercises like mock job interviews for made-up positions like a “professional shoe tire”. This can help participants develop transformative skills they can apply to a real interview. Our goal is to bring families together and build authentic connections while keeping it light and fun.

Date and Time: Saturday, December 16, 2023, 10:00 AM

Location: 440 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

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Parents and Caregivers can play an important role in helping children recover from traumatic events. This workshop is designed to provide parents and caregivers with introductory information about the impact of trauma and the power of relationships to help children heal. The more parents and caregivers understand how trauma effects children, the more they will understand the reasons for kids’ behaviors and emotions, and the more they will be able to help them cope.

Date and Time: Saturday, December 16, 2023, 10:00 AM

Location: 440 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

Register.

Students with asthma and their families face unique experiences. The Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) is here to help navigate these experiences! CAPP will give caregivers and students the tools to go through The Game of Life with asthma in mind. Caregivers and students will be tasked with making decisions to help control asthma in different real-life scenarios.

Date and Time: Saturday, December 16, 2023, 10:00 AM

Location: 440 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

Register.

Is your child gearing up for college or trade school? Learn about how to cover the costs associated with continuing education after high school graduation. Topics include: calculating true costs, financial aid programs, scholarships, and more.

Date and Time: Tuesday, December 12, 2023, 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM

Register.