(FLINT, Mich., July 28, 2025) — The Flint Parent Collaborative will host a day of parent empowerment Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Educare Flint Early Childhood Center, 1000 Gladwin St., Flint. The day-long workshop will feature three sessions:
- Making the System Work – a parent’s guide to special education advocacy, led by Charese McLean, Parent Collaborative Director
- Raising Our Voices – communicating with impact to influence policy, led by Legislative Analyst Myron Henderson
- Youth Safety and Gang Prevention in Flint, led by Detective Seargent Sarah Combs, City of Flint Police Department
“We want to give parents the tools they need to be their child’s strongest advocate to ensure Flint kids thrive,” said Charese McLean, Flint Parent Collaborative Director. “The impact of parents advocating on behalf of children, their needs, ensuring their voices are heard, and promoting their well-being, is tremendous. Parents serve as a bridge between families and educational and child welfare systems, offering unique perspectives and lived experiences that can lead to positive change and improved outcomes for children,” she said.
Workshop participants will earn a professional development certificate of completion from the Flint Parent Collaborative.
Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
To attend, RSPV by Aug. 11 at 810-202-2568. Seating is limited.
The Flint Parent Collaborative is an initiative of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence. It
plays an instrumental role in amplifying the voices of parents, caregivers, and other caring adults, to raise awareness about the issues and opportunities that impact the educational success, and advocate for improvements in services and policies that make
the best possible educational opportunities available to Flint kids.
The Flint Center for Educational Excellence is building an educational ecosystem that works for all Flint kids by providing programs, research, and advocacy that ensure Flint kids, their families, schools, and communities thrive. We accomplish this through
a cross-sector partnership to create a cradle-to-career support network connecting people, ideas and resources in tangible ways that strengthen our community through the power of collaboration. To learn more about the Flint Center, visit theflintcenter.org.
