Hi All, I am exploring whether there would be interest in forming a statewide team to participate in PLA's Family Engagement course. The Fall cohort would work together from September 14, 2021 to March 22, 2022. A final group project would be submitted at the end to earn 8.5 contact hours. See more info here http://www.ala.org/pla/education/onlinelearning/feseries . Because the cost may be prohibitive for individual libraries, I am willing to convene one statewide group to attend the course subsidized by MSL. Please let me know if you have a staff person who would like to improve their FE skills and help your library better address community goals. Deb Clark, MSL Library Management Specialist
What is Family Engagement?
Family engagement is a shared responsibility among families, educators, and communities to support children's learning and development. Family engagement begins at birth and continues through young adulthood. The term is no longer limited to the involvement of families in schools-it is much broader. Children spend only 20% of their waking hours in school. Learning happens both in school and out of school-as "anywhere, anytime learning"-and children and youth thrive when they have opportunities to explore and discover their interests in a variety of spaces, including at home, in the community, and in public libraries.
For more info on FE in libraries http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/familyengagement .

Deborah A. Clark, MLIS
Library Management Specialist
Maine State Library
(207)233-2193
E-mail: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

"Great Libraries Build Strong Communities"