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Active Parenting Today Online Groups |
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This section includes planning tips to help you get your program organized so that your Active Parenting Today Online Group will be a success.
The Benefits of Partnering with a Sponsoring
Organization
If you decide to work with a sponsoring organization, you must
carefully present the reasons why everyone benefits from parent
education. Personally meet with the people within the organization
whose influence and support can make your online parenting education
classes happen. You will need to receive the approval of the head
of the organization, and you must take the time to keep the organization
involved and informed from the beginning until the last session.
As time-consuming as this may be, there are real benefits to having a sponsoring organization. In addition to providing credibility within the community, a sponsoring organization (i.e. school, hospital, counseling center, church/synagogue) usually provides free publicity and may also offer the course to low-income parents free of charge. Sometimes it will have multiple locations, allowing you to publicize the program across a large area without increased promotion costs.
Form a Planning Committee
It is difficult for one person working alone to plan and promote
a successful parenting program. By forming a committee of at least
three people, you will have the support and “person power”
to do an effective job of promoting your online group. At the
first meeting present your plan of action, ask for feedback and
ideas, and discuss the involvement and responsibilities of each
committee member. Set specific dates for completing assignments
(newsletter publicity, staff meeting presentations, etc.) and
then allow each person to have ownership of their part of the
project. Make a follow-up call to confirm that arrangements are
proceeding as planned.
Getting Others On Board
At the beginning, determine your objectives, identify your target
audience, and review the program's benefits. If working with a
sponsoring organization, make sure their representative(s) on
the committee understands how the Active Parenting Today Online
Group program can help the organization fulfill its mission:
Parenting education helps build stronger families and enhances
the organization's image within the community.
By identifying your target audience, you can focus publicity directly on those you are hoping to help. Your promotional efforts (i.e. posters, news releases to media, public speaking) should focus on the desire of all parents to raise children who are cooperative, responsible, and able to resist peer pressure, as well as the convenience of an online program. It's also a good idea to emphasize that parenting education can help parents develop communication skills that will help them in the challenging teen years.
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