The Philadelphia school district has brought back its Parent and Family University, which will start offering free classes in October 2025.
The program was revealed on Wednesday at a kickoff event at Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus Charter School in Overbrook. It is designed to provide parents and caregivers with much-needed tools to support their children's success in school and in daily life.
Philadelphia's Parent and Family University
The free classes will be held both online and in-person, and will cover topics ranging from academics to financial literacy. Officials also said that there will be a light dinner and childcare provided during the in-person classes.
Superintendent Tony Watlington said that they will have programming available throughout the city, adding that they currently have eight locations set to launch next month. They will then rotate those locations over time.
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The last time that the district offered Parent and Family University was more than a decade ago. Local officials said that the relaunch is part of a broader effort to expand their services to benefit families and strengthen community ties.
Watlington said they are all excited that their board of education saw it appropriate to bring back the Parent and Family University to Philadelphia. He was joined by Board of Education President Reginald Streater, Chief Education Officer Debora Carrera of the Mayor's Office of Education, and other city leaders, according to CBS News.
Helpful Resources and Services
During the press conference, there were resource tables from more than two dozen organizations that were set up. These gave attendees an opportunity to connect with partner organizations.
At the launch event, Watlington said that the Parent and Family University shows they are "wrapping our arms around our children and our families." He noted that a key pillar of the program is giving families support and resources to increase student attendance and joy in schools, Chalkbeat reported.
The superintendent noted that some organizations, such as Scholastic and Philadelphia Financial Scholars, partnered with the district to deliver the free services. Streater said that the courses and resources are about "building trust."
