Parent Engagement Event Plan for College & Career Counseling

Introduction and Purpose of the Event

Evidence has shown that involving parents in college selection and career guidance is beneficial for their children's futures. Parental involvement is valuable because parents help their children consider options for career development and influence how students transition from high school to college, including career determination, exploration, and self-belief (Oomen, 2016). School counselors help parents create an impact on their child's career exploration in various ways, such as skill development, protection from undesirable experiences, strengthening rational thinking, improving character development, and reinforcing personal accountability. Studies have also shown that students themselves recognized the positive effects of school counselors in helping them gain career guidance through the organization of career days and conferences, along with access to occupational guidance information for making informed decisions (Amoah, Kwofie & Kwofie, 2015).

This paper describes a parent and family engagement event focused on career counseling for students and their readiness to enter college. The event would be directed toward families so that they can be actively involved in their child's plans. Teachers and counselors will introduce programs to parents and provide information to support students in career exploration. Career assistance will primarily include guiding students and parents through college programs and academic curricula. This guidance is designed to prepare students for several aspects of college life — including admission tests, financing secondary education and training, personal development workshops, presentations, and individualized counseling sessions (US Department of Education, 2007). The event will serve parents and families so that they are fully informed of their children's future choices and can evaluate whether those choices are viable.

Meetings will be arranged with the planning team so that program details and family needs can be addressed well in advance. The event will be held in January 2021. Planning meetings will begin in September 2020 and continue through January. September, October, and November will each have one monthly meeting; December will include weekly meetings throughout the month. These weekly meetings will address finer details such as when to notify parents about the event and how seating arrangements should be handled.

Planning Timeline

September meeting: An initial rough draft of the event will be developed through brainstorming sessions involving all participants. Budgeting needs will also be considered at this stage.

October meeting: All group members will be invited again to generate ideas about parental session formats and career counseling topics and programs.

November meeting: Group members will be assigned specific duties at designated locations within the school. For example, if workshops are held in different classrooms, staff will be assigned to welcome and direct attendees to those rooms. All other members will be allocated responsibilities accordingly.

December meeting 1: The first week of December will focus on flyer designs and the modes of communication through which event information will be shared with parents and families.

December meeting 2: The second week will address who is responsible for distributing information via emails and flyers. Preparations for refreshments will also be discussed.

Facility and Technology Needs

December meeting 3: During the third week, arrangements for "parents as guest speakers" will be finalized. Parents who are willing to share their personal experiences of receiving school counseling support for career decisions will be identified and their availability confirmed.

December meeting 4: In the final week of December, all arrangements will be reviewed to ensure everything is in place. Any errors or gaps will be identified and addressed.