Programs & Initiatives

Fundraising Initiatives

● Education Matters Scholarship – Funds donated provide $1,000 scholarships to college-bound Springfield scholars who are academically focused and give back to their community.

● Expansion Plans – Funds donated will enable Parent Villages to hire full and part-time staff that will allow for depth and breadth of our programming to reach and support more Springfield residents and beyond.

Community Engagement

● Baystate Medical Center is a sponsor of the Family Prosperity Innovation Community, an initiative started through the Aspen Institute. Our partnership on this initiative enhances Baystate’s understanding of community needs and further enables success to their goal of hiring more staff from the Springfield community and to better support their career path towards advancement within Baystate. This partnership has enabled Parent Villages growth and increased network connections necessary to fulfill our mission.

● Springfield Works, 2 Generation Whole Family Approach to Jobs, is practical and effective. It is an initiative we are proud to be a part of. We bring quality workforce development programs that translate into actual jobs to Springfield residents who need them most. Our commitment to Springfield Works and the 2 Generational approach allows us to grow our budding Parent to Parent mentor program and expound upon our motto --“It still Takes a Village!”

Ongoing Programming

● Community-based Partnerships - These partnerships allow us to establish resource sharing networks, ensure opportunities reach intended audiences, and increase visibility for Parent Villages and partnering organizations.

● Community i-Meetup Meetings - These grassroot efforts bring the community together regularly to discuss hot topics relevant to Springfield families and our education system. COVID has brought us these gatherings to the virtual realm, not allowing us to fellowship with families over food & beverage as usual; nonetheless our guest speakers and dialogue continue to provide critical information to attendees.

● Mentoring Programs - Mentors accelerate the learning and career growth of mentees simply by investing time and insight (Forbes Oct. 2, 2018). COVID forced us to re-examine our mentor programs - stay tuned for our refined Parent-to-Parent mentor program and the re-institution of our Peer-to-Peer mentoring programs.

● #SHOWUP Initiative - Parent Villages started the #SHOWUP Initiative to empower adults to show up for their children and youth in their community whether they express that they need it or not. The #SHOWUP Initiative encourages parents to be proactive about their child’s education by showing up at the school for the good, the bad, and everything in between.