Forest Parkers are invited to attend the inaugural educational summit that will be hosted by Forest Park School District 91.
Its focus is on strengthening both families and the community.
“The Village We Choose: Strengthening Family Bond through Connection and Community,” will be hosted April 6 at Forest Park Middle School.
The free event will feature not only free breakfast and lunch, but also an opportunity for community members and district families to participate in workshop sessions ranging in topics including mental health strategies, college saving plans, and more.
Latoya McRae, a school engagement coordinator with D91, said that in her new role with the district, her goal is to connect families to school activities and district-wide events to develop a family-centered relationship with D91.
The summit aims to empower families to have the opportunity to learn from community partners in education or youth development and to exchange ideas and experiences to build connections.
Organizers asid they also hope families will be able to connect with external resources that are available to them, which McRae said are key to build those relationships in Forest Park.
“We wanted to create a summit where we can foster those relationships,” McRae said, “[To] point them in the right direction…and to walk away feeling empowered, connected, and feeling a sense of belonging with being a part of the Forest Park community.”
Rachelle Ernst, a school engagement coordinator, said part of what came to mind while they worked on putting together this event was the district’s Parent University.
“We want to not only support the students academically, socially, emotionally, but offer the same opportunities for parents as well,” Ernst said. “We want to make sure we are supporting them in their journey with their students.”
Local vendors and organizations will also be present, with some hosting workshops, including “Creating Safer Swimmers Soon with Free and Accessible Tips” by CAST Water Safety Foundation’s Liz Huber.
“We are providing a lot of opportunities for families to feel connected to the community,” Ernst said.
The district casted a “wide net” when reaching out to organizations to participate, focusing on those who services and promotes youth, such as the park district.
“Any part of a student’s educational journey or questions revolving around ‘how does a parent support their youth,’ we want to make sure there is a way for our families to gather more information on the topics that are relevant to them, and their families lives right now,” Ernst said.
Workshops include how to save for college, how to build independence, understanding teen dating violence, and even a session on how to become a board member: “Board of Education 101: An Introduction for Aspiring Members.”
Attendees will be able to attend two workshops during the event.
“It’s not a cookie-cutter situation – everyone has different things they want to look into,” McRae said. “We wanted to ensure the workshops are diverse from academics to health and wellness to recreation, anything that will help children in their journeys of learning.”
McRae said D91 faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and participate in the workshops, as well.
The summit will also include keynote speaker Betty Alzamora, a local community activist known for her championing human rights and voting rights activism.
“We are very fortunate to be in an area close to the city and we have neighboring and surrounding villages,” Ernst said. “All of those can be the village that we choose, and we want you to feel that there is a sense of belonging. Where you get your information, where you send your children to school – we want that to be here in Forest Park.”
The event will be hosted Saturday, April 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Forest Park Middle school. Community members can register online