Nearly three times as many parents, educators and community members will attend this yearʼs Family And Community Engagement (FACE) Summit as last year, a sign the Gary Community School Corp.ʼs outreach efforts are paying off, officials said Thursday.
The free FACE Summit will be held at West Side Leadership Academy, 900 Gerry St., from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 28.
The school corporation has been riding a wave of good news, from 100 percent graduation rate at Wirt-Emerson Visual and Performing Arts High Ability Academy to a team from Frankie Woods-McCullough Academy for Girls competing at the national Samsung Solve For Tomorrow contest.
Last year, the FACE Summit drew about 220 attendees. Last week, officials closed this yearʼs FACE Summit registration at 613 people.
“We have so many great things going on in the district, and it’s a must that we partner with our partners to educate our children,” said Dr. Cheryl Pruitt, Superintendent of the Gary Community School Corp. “Parents are our first partner in working with our students and I am thrilled to see this large of an increase in attendance to the FACE Summit.”
Dr. Pruitt said research shows that when parents are involved, students do better and schools achieve higher scores and graduation rates.
The summit will bring together local education experts to discuss topics ranging from college and career readiness to parental and family involvement in the classroom to indepth looks at a number of Gary Community schools, said Dr. Albert Holmes, Director of Innovation and Improvement and Federal Grants and Programs for the school corporation. The summit also will feature guest speaker Phyllis Hunter, a national renowned educator and author of dozens of books on educating children.
“Weʼre really excited and encouraged at the interest in our second annual FACE Summit,” said Dr. Holmes. “The Gary Community School Corp., we actively reach out to all the members of our community to get them involved in our childrenʼs education.”
The summit also will give a number of student performers a chance to shine. The summit will feature performances by praise dancers, steppers and two choirs. A free lunch will be provided for registered parents.
For more information on the second annual Family and Community Engagement Summit, contact the Public Information Office at (219)881-5481.