The IAFOR (The International Academic Forum) education conferences concentrate on the factors of globalization in education, encourage interdisciplinary discussions and exchanges. Dr A. Landsbergienė often emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in educational institutions. She talked namely about the achievements in this area at the conference.

We are delighted to share a summary of the report:

“Parent Involvement Programs and Inclusive Partnerships in Fast Paced Changing World: A Case Study of Improved Relationships”

There is a lot of literature and research on parent involvement. It shows that schools that actively involve parents and the community tend to establish better reputations in the community, experience better community support, and usually do better and have higher quality programs than programs that do not involve parents.On the other hand, nowadays parents are overworked, stressed, and often have low self-esteem when it comes to parenting. A lot of parents do not know how to get involved and how to increase the interaction. Besides, the society is changing faster than expected and parents oftentimes feel that the situation is getting out of control. Therefore, our goal was to educate the parents, to form inclusive partnerships and strong relationships in order to create a sense of community in schools. The pilot program started in 18 preschools, 3 Elementary schools, and one Secondary school. With the teachers, psychologists, and educational advisors involved we have started to develop a program of inclusion and sustainable partnership. The parents that actively participated in the program have reported the increase of quality interactions with their children, increased confidence in their parenting skills, better understanding of teacher's job, improved relationships with the teachers and a sense of community. It has also been observed that the parents want to participate in decision making and they do that willingly when they feel confident and informed. We will share good practices and best strategies that worked as well as challenges.