What: University of North Texas’ 20th International Conference on Parent Education and Parenting — Prominent speakers from across the nation and world will address parents, professionals and students in one of the nation’s most renowned conferences on parent education.
When: Preconference symposium: April 24 (Wednesday)
Conference: April 25 – 26 (Thursday – Friday)
Where: UNT campus
Cost: Conference fees at: http://parenteducation.unt.edu/sites/default/files/Conference%20Fees.pdf
Contact: Register online or visit http://parenteducation.unt.edu/conferences for more information.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Experts from across the world will delve into parenting topics focusing on everyone from infants to grandparents in the University of North Texas’ International Parent Education Conference, considered one of the nation’s most prominent conferences on parenting.
Educators, counselors and parents are invited to the conference, presented by the Center for Parent Education in UNT’s College of Education and now held every two years. The conference schedule includes such topics as:
- Infants’ attachment to caregivers
- Challenges and support for rural custodial grandparents
- Fathers’ influence on the spiritual development of daughters
- Potential of Spanish language TV in educating families about how to get to college
- Work-life balance issues of graduate students
A preconference symposium will be offered for the first time this year to help attendees develop research and evaluation skills and form collaborations with other professionals involved in family research and evaluation. Registration information is at http://parenteducation.unt.edu/conferences/preconference.
Keynote speaker Velma McBride Murry will address “Parenting in a global society: challenges and opportunities” at 8:30 a.m. April 25 (Thursday). McBride Murry has conducted research on rural African American parents and youth for 20 years and has studied the impact of racism on family functioning. Her research resulted in the development of the Strong African American Families Program, targeted toward preventing early onset sexual behavior and substance abuse.
At Vanderbilt University, McBride Murry is the director of the Center for Research on Rural Families and Communities, co-director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Community Engaged Research Core and professor and Betts Chair of education and human development.
The Conference on Parent Education has met annually on the campus of UNT for 19 years and now meets every two years. The conference brings together regional, national and international scholars, policy makers, parent and family educators, early childhood interventionists, family support professionals, school and parent liaisons, students, and child and family advocates.
The Center for Parent Education at UNT supports parent and family educators, family support professionals and students through research, education, involvement, and child and family policy inquiry.
About UNT’s College of Education
UNT’s College of Education prepares students to contribute to the advancement of education, health and human development. Founded in 1890 as a training college for teachers, UNT now enrolls more than 4,000 students in the College of Education, which consists of four departments — counseling and higher education; educational psychology; kinesiology, health promotion and recreation; and teacher education and administration. UNT’s College of Education certifies about 1,000 teachers a year — making it the largest producer of new teachers in the north Texas region. Students are also prepared for careers as researchers, counselors, leaders, physical activity and health promotion specialists, child development and family studies specialists and more.