I’ve posted often about my reservations about typical school “parent academies” (see My Best Posts On Parent “Academies” & “Universities”).

This parent academy in Canada, though, seems like it has the right idea:

The After-school Scholars Program started as extra support for children in grade 3 to 6 who were struggling with reading. Then the principal and the teachers decided to invite the students’ parents to come to school with them, and they asked the parents if there were things they wanted to learn about while their children were learning more about reading.

The parents had many ideas. They wanted to learn about everything from homework help, to stress management, and fire safety. This year, a number of parents who had not completed high school added that they wanted to get their GED (or whatever it’s called) – and XX have done so!

The parents are actively involved in developing the content for the sessions, childcare is provided and the parents and children come together at the end of the session for a healthy dinner.