Once again, Modern Parents Magazine and the United States Department of Education have collaborated to present the annual Parent & Community forum to uplift communities, parents and educators to advance our children's education.

As I watch my seven and ten-year-old daughters complete their homework, I can’t help but wonder what more can I do to ensure that they achieve their goals in life? How can I make certain that my girls take advantage of all the opportunities, which were not available to me as a child, like going to college? What steps can I take to become an active parent-leader in my children’s education? Surely, I am not the only parent who has these curiosities.

The future of our children’s education is of the essence; and we, as parents, educators and community leaders, are responsible for uncovering an outlet of reformation for our students to prosper in the classroom and transform their childhood dreams into reality.

Modern Parents Magazine and the U.S. Department of Education are playing major roles in this restoration by collaborating to host The 2012 Parent and Community Power Summit. This 2012 Summit will be held at the historically black college of Southern University in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at 9:00 a.m.

The Summit’s mission is to enhance the connection between the academic world and the parenting world by exposing attendees to the best practices in parent involvement and sharing ideas and questions with other individuals who possess a like-minded passion for family involvement. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage, converse and discover effective strategies to apply to their child’s educational intake.

It is well understood that ‘it takes an entire village to raise a child.’ Knowing this, Modern Parents Magazine and the U.S. Department of Education also invite advisors/liaisons, college education majors, teacher assistants, coaches and administrators to the 2012 Summit. This forum is intended for all individuals who are concerned about preserving the future of our children’s education.

Last year’s Summit was a phenomenal success. Guest speaker and attendee of the Summit, Dr. Glenda Allen-Jones, Chair of Early Childhood Education at Southern University, expressed great enthusiasm for the motivation she witnessed from the participants at the forum.

Dr. Jones says, “The parents were very receptive of the information that they received. They said that they were going to go back and use it right away. And not only looking into using it towards their child, but also looking into how they can help their neighbor’s child. If not, maybe they could look into starting it locally, state or nationally because it’s something that if we invest in now, we’ll see the benefits of it later, and we’ll see it in the students at the University. And that’s definitely a win win!”

Modern Parents Magazine and the United States Department of Education look forward to conveying that same empowerment and excitement to attendees at this year’s Summit.

This year, the guest speaker for the conference will be Ms. Carrie Jasper of the U.S. Department of Education. Along with Ms. Jasper, there will be other representatives from the state and federal levels of the U.S. Department of Education who will spearhead inspirational workshops addressing topics, such as the following: communication strategies among teachers and parents, resources to assist parents in becoming classroom leaders, financial assistance for higher education and techniques for tending to special education students.

As an advocate of community outreach and family involvement, Dr. Louise S. Kaltenbaugh, Dean of the College of Education Department at Southern University, strongly supports the annual Summit. “The forum is an excellent way to bring parents together to discuss issues that they have in common. I think it’s a great opportunity for their voices to be heard at the state and national level.”

“And so, it does not just take only the village, but it also takes the institution within that village to raise a child. We are that institution.” Dr. Kaltnbaugh says.

As the eminent educator George Washington Carver once stated, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” Being so, Modern Parents Magazine and the U.S. Department of Education plan to assist children, parents and educators in taking that first step into freedom through the 2012 Parent and Community Power Summit.

However, Modern Parents Magazine and the U.S. Department of Education cannot carry out Carver’s prevailing ideal alone. Whether you are a college professor, grandparent or middle school teacher, all supporters are encouraged to attend the forum and take part in the Summit.

Together, we are dedicated to answering those curiosities regarding your adolescent’s education, and we are committed to helping parents and instructors make better decisions about their most valuable investment… their children.