Q&A with Product Development Manager Rachel Metzger

Active Parenting president Dr. Michael Popkin
with Product Development Manager Rachel Metzger

Script-writer, editor, designer, music producer, casting director (not to mention vegetarian-chili maker)--Product Development Manager Rachel Metzger hardly has room for all the hats she must wear to do her job.

Rachel came to Active Parenting in June of 1999 after moving to Atlanta from Seattle with her husband, Chuck, and five-year-old daughter, Zoe (whose smiling face is featured in the magnet frame sold in our catalog). Her background in training, project management, and graphic design have been put to good use developing many different elements for our programs. Assistant Carol Keller is the other indispensible member of the Product Development team.

We recently dragged Rachel away from her laptop, where she was putting the finishing touches on the new Parents on Board Video Library script, to ask a few questions.

It's been a busy year, hasn't it?
Yes, we've kept very busy on several projects! Most recently we've finished production on a new version of the Cooperative Parenting and Divorce Parent's Guide, and Lessons from Littleton just began shipping to customers.

Speaking of Lessons from Littleton, why did you decide to do a follow-up to She Said Yes?
When Dr. Popkin and I were out in Colorado interviewing Cassie Bernall's friends and family for SSY, we began to see another story forming. During the interviews with the kids from Cassie's youth group, we really came to admire the teens who played such a large role in helping Cassie turn her life around. We saw them as such great examples of compassion and tolerance toward a teen who was at first very different from them. And when SSY customers started telling us they'd like to see more of Jamie from the SSY video, we started work on LFL right away.

What are you working on now?
APT Online, APT Online, and more APT Online! Really, this has been a very big "push" in Product Development, and we're excited about the possibilities that online parenting education can have in our communities...and around the world!

We're also finishing up production of the Parents On Board: Building Academic Success Through Parent Involvement Video Library, which includes new narration by Dr. Popkin. We're doing something different with this video library. We've gotten some feedback from school counselors and teachers indicating it's sometimes difficult to use POB with the parents of preteens because of several video scenes geared toward younger children. So we're planning to offer two versions: one for parents of elementary-age children, and another specifically for parents of middle-schoolers.

We're almost finished with the Cooperative Parenting and Divorce "face-lift," which will include improving the Overhead Transparencies and the Leader's Guide. The authors have provided us with several updates and edits that we think CPD leaders will like.

Are video shoots as glamorous as they appear in the movies?
Not really! I remember last fall when we shot the teen narration for Families in Action, we got the great idea to film in the woods outside our office. This would have worked fine, since the trees were full and green, and the weather was great...but our office is located near Dobbins Air Force Base! That day they chose to fly some especially loud planes directly overhead. We eventually got through it...

Rachel Metzger, left, reviews the script
during the filming of the Families in Action Teen Video.

Video production generally involves long, hard work days. This is particularly challenging since actors--especially the teens and children we often work with-get tired and may forget their lines. But all this aside, video production is definitely my favorite part of this job!

What's coming up in 2002?
We hope to be able to offer open-caption video versions of Active Parenting Today, and as soon as APT Online is up and running, we plan to begin developing Parents on Board Online and 1,2,3,4 Parents Online.

We are also working very hard to improve the research supporting our programs and the measurement tools included in the programs. We understand that many of our customers need to be able to prove that their programs are working, and we are taking aggressive steps to get our programs on various Proven-Effective lists.

Also, Carol will soon begin work developing Power Point versions of all of our program transparencies. This will allow leaders to use laptops instead of overhead projectors in their groups.

Back in 1983 Active Parenting was the first to offer parenting education with a brand-new technology-home video-and now in 2001 we're doing what we can to remain the "pioneers of parenting education." It's a lot of work but I learn something new with every project.

For more information about products mentioned in this article, call 800-825-0060 or click on the link below.

Product Development Manager Rachel Metzger is always interested in feedback from Active Parenting customers. Please call 800-825-0060 or send e-mail to rachel@activeparenting.com.

Reprinted from Leader magazine.
Copyright 2001 by Active Parenting Publishers, Inc.

Vol. 6, No. 1 | Vol. 5, No. 2 | Vol. 5, No. 1 | Spring/Summer 1999 | Winter / Spring 1999

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