Parent resource center opens at District headquarters

This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

The School District of Philadelphia celebrated the opening of its Parent and Community Resource Center on January 28.

With a staff of three, the center offers eight computers with Internet access, core curriculum guides for grades K-12, printer and fax services, a reading corner for kids, and a series of workshops on such topics as student re-enrollment, financial aid, and becoming a better parent.

The center also has a multilingual component, with literature in Spanish. Other languages will be included.

“Parents who do not have computers can use it for themselves, access their child’s records, and see the core curriculum for their child’s different subjects,” said Cecelia Thompson, chair of the Philadelphia Right to Education Local Task Force.

Quibila Divine, director of the Office of Parent, Family, and Community Services, proposed such a center after attending a meeting at the Pennsylvania Parent Information and Resource Center, which offered assistance to various school districts in duplicating their model. District staff worked for five months to get the center up and running.

The Parent Leadership Academy donated the computers, and staff pulled resources, artwork, and other equipment from different areas of District headquarters to furnish the center.

The Parent and Community Resource Center is located at the School District of Philadelphia Education Center, first floor, 440 N. Broad St. Hours are Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 215- 400-PCRC (7272).