By Jaden Yanovitz, an AACPS: 2019 Intern with the Department of Partnerships, Development & Marketing | Student, North County High School
On a typical Saturday morning, the Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) Pascal Center for Performing Arts isn’t bustling with 300+ parents and family members of students in Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
This Saturday morning was a little different.
On November 16th, the 2019 Family Involvement Conference took place at AACC. The conference is an annual event that welcomes families, community members, and educators to participate in interactive workshops and discussions pertaining to the children and youth of AACPS. The theme of this year’s conference, “All Means All: Embracing and Learning Through Our Diversity,” highlights how families can discuss cultural, social or economic differences in a healthy way.
Family members gather books and other materials during the Resource Fair.
The conference began as families were welcomed into the center by volunteers from all over Anne Arundel County. As participants enjoyed complimentary breakfast, they were encouraged to explore a Resource Fair, which included booths and tables from numerous AACPS community and business partners. The Resource Fair was followed by an opening session in the Kauffman Theater, where families heard from Terry Gilleland, President of the Board of Education, and Dr. George Arlotto, Superintendent of Schools. The opening session ended with a video highlighting the importance of student diversity created by Glen Burnie High School students.
Participants were then directed to the first of two breakout workshop sessions of their choosing. The workshops focused on a multitude of topics, ranging from academic knowledge, college and career readiness, supporting children with ADHD, exploring empathy and resilience, technology/social media education, and much more. All of them had one concept in common—strategies and steps that families can take home to best uplift their children.
A parent takes notes during a Family and Involvement Conference break-out session.
One workshop, Put That Down and Look at Me—Whose Faces are Screens Replacing?, was presented by Bobbi Pedrick, the AACPS Director of Special Education. Put That Down and Look at Me focused on practical strategies and tips for family members and caregivers to talk to their children about technology use, and how in excess, it can be detrimental to one’s mental health. Pedrick made a point to dive into the science behind the impact that technology–specifically cell phone usage and social media–has on human behavior & brain activity.
Deonia, an AACPS parent who has students at Glen Burnie Park Elementary and Old Mill Middle North, attended Put That Down and Look at Me. She said that her favorite part of the workshop was “the emphasis on family involvement and enforcing boundaries” and that she is “on track with noticing that sometimes, the devices need to go down.” Another parent, Dave, with students at North County High School, expressed that one impactful takeaway he had from Put That Down and Look at Me was “…technology is not the be-all to end all. We need to talk to each other and be present. I thought Bobbi really explained how kids today are communicating less with each other and spending more time on devices. She presented different ways for parents to set examples.”
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and caregivers alike enjoy the annual Family Involvement Conference year after year. The resources provided, connections made and workshops presented all wrapped up into one bring forth an exceptional opportunity to engage with families and community members of Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
Want to learn more about the annual Family Involvement Conference?
The official Family Involvement Conference website can be found at https://www.aacps.org/familyconference. This interactive webpage contains valuable resources regarding all of the workshops for this year’s conference and a post-conference evaluation form for any participants who missed out on providing feedback about the conference. The workshop presentations and photos from previous conferences are posted as well.
We hope to see you all at the Family Involvement Conference next year!
