The national organization, ParentCamp is pleased to announce that a spin to the traditional ParentCamp has been made for grandparents. A series of GrandParentCamps for Northern Kentucky will kick off in Grant County this Saturday, September 15th at Sherman Elementary School (3985 Dixie Hwy, Dry Ridge, KY) from 9:00 to 11:30 am. Registration begins at 8:30 am.
GrandParentCamps are opportunities for grandparents, guardians, mentors, parents, educators or anyone involved in a child’s life to come together to ask questions, find resources and build a support system. ParentCamps are for both private and public school families. They are a time for communities to come together and have face to face discussions about topics which are affecting their families.
Attendees will begin the day by gathering in the cafeteria for a short kick-off session. There will be multiple sessions offered during three time frames and attendees are free to move from session to session. Everyone will gather back in the cafeteria for a short “share out” where attendees will share their “ah ha” moments. Everyone will be given a pack of sticky notes to make notes during their sessions and are invited to stick them to the session “wall” to share what they learned with others. Photos will be taken of the “wall” and shared on social media so that others who could not attend the event can learn about what was shared during the sessions.
A short video produced by a group of students explaining ParentCamp can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZna9A6XDes
Topics on tap for GrandParentCampNKY include:
- mental wellness including identifying signs of depression and suicide
- growing up in a digital world
- advocating for children
- teaching your kids about money
- navigating the legal system
- transition to middle school and high school
- navigating and finding resources in your community
- how growing up today is different
- taking care of yourself so you can take care of others
- finding quality childcare and early childhood resources
The topics are determined by the attendees when they register, so each GrandParentCamp event is different.
The first ParentCamp was held in 2013 at Knapp Elementary School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. ParentCamps have been held in many states since then along with a number of them being held at the US Department of Education in DC.
“It was great to meet and get to know other adults who are going through the same thing” Paula McPeake, attendee and a grandparent who attended the first ParentCamp held in NKY. “We just sat around in circles and discussed what we were interested in, no one person monopolized the conversation and the facilitators in each session where very knowledgeable and kept the conversations flowing.”
The effort is designed to unite schools, families, and other members of a community. GrandParentCamp events, usually half a day, include a series of discussions that include the experiences and perspectives of everyone in the room using the un-conference style. Sessions are discussions rather than prepared presentations.
“We are so thankful to Sherman Elementary and the Grant County Schools community for opening their doors to hosting the first of a series of GrandParentCamps across Northern Kentucky. They have been great to work with” stated Julia Pile, ParentCamp Board member. “We must also thank Northern Kentucky Education Council, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services, Children’s Inc, Rob’s Kids, SEAS the Day Foundation, College and Beyond, and Randy Williams of A Debt Coach for their ongoing support of the ParentCamp initiatives in Northern Kentucky.”
Registrations for GrandParentCampNKY can be made by visiting https://www.parentcamp.org/grandparentcampnky-grant/. ParentCamps are always free and walk-ins are welcome. Questions may be sent to Julie Pile via email at julie@parentcamp.org.
#GrandParentCampNKY #FindingResources #GrandparentsRaisingGrandkids #BetterTogether
