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Families as Faculty Learning Opportunities

For Families:

Families as Faculty offers unique opportunities for families to play a key role in the training programs for future educators and health care professionals. The workshops we offer are designed to give parents a foundation which will prepare them to host university students in their homes. The workshops are aligned to the Leadership Path for volunteers in our Family Leadership Action Network (FLAN).

• Host Family 101: Families of children with special needs are invited to become a Host Family for Families as Faculty. Make a difference by sharing your story with future teachers, doctors, and others. Families as Faculty adds the family perspective to learning experiences for university students.
• PROspective 101: Learn about Parents Reaching Out, the resources we offer and discover tools for effective advocacy.
• Telling Your Story: We learn from our experiences. Our "life lessons" help others understand our position and improve the quality of life for our children and others. Discover the importance of telling your story and learn easy ways to prepare your story.
• Connecting Families with Families (Parent to Parent – P2P): Strategies for families who are ready to help other parents through their journey. Parents who have been there provide support to other families facing the emotions and challenges of parenting a child with extensive health issues or special needs.
• Family Leadership in Education, Culture, and Healthcare Access (FLECHA): FLECHA is a four-part curriculum with tools, information, and resources that families can use as they raise healthy children who are ready to grow, learn, and succeed.
• People First Language: People First Language can change how people with disabilities feel about themselves. Using People First Language can change how society views and treats people with disabilities.

Be sure to check our calendar to see the upcoming workshops that we are offering. Contact us if you would like to learn more about Families as Faculty.

For students:

University students receive training through a 2-hour orientation session during which staff from Parents Reaching Out and/or volunteers explain the purpose of the home visit and a parent presents his/her story to the students. After the family visit, the students meet again with PRO staff and/or volunteers and participate in a 2-hour wrap-up session. During this time, students share their experiences with their host family and the group identifies and discusses common themes. As part of their evaluation for this project, students write a reflection paper which allows them to consider the changes that have come about in their personal beliefs, values, and attitudes about children with disabilities and their families.