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January 6, 2009
 

UNT to host International Conference on Parent Education and Parenting

DENTON (UNT), Texas – Raising a child in today's world can be challenging.  In recent decades the field of parent education has exploded with practitioners and researchers studying the many facets of the relationship between children and their parents. 

The University of North Texas will host the "International Conference on Parent Education and Parenting," Feb. 12 (Thursday) through 14 (Saturday).  The conference is intended to educate practitioners, parents, students and anyone else interested in learning more about parenting and families. 

The 2009 conference will be UNT's 17th annual Conference of Parent Education; however, this is the first time that the conference will be a joint effort between the College of Education's Center for Parent Education and the International Sociological Association Committee on Family Research.  This also is the first year that the conference will have an international focus.

"The joint nature of this conference should stimulate further research and educational collaboration between students and faculty at UNT with those at other universities, which will benefit all of the stakeholders outside of academia through the creation, integration, application, and dissemination of knowledge," said Dr. Rudy Seward, vice president of the International Sociological Association's Committee on Family Research and a professor of sociology at UNT.  Seward also is co-director of the conference.

The three-day conference will feature speakers from across the country and the world. 

Day 1 will primarily feature workshops and "how-to" sessions. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Wally Goddard, professor of family life at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.  Goddard will present a talk titled New Discoveries in Parent Education.

Day 2 will focus on the practical use of research. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jay Fagan, a professor in the School of Social Administration at Temple University.  Fagan will present a talk titled Parent Education for Fathers: Lessons Learned from Research.

Day 3 will focus on research and policy making.  It also will have a strong international focus. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Linda Haas, professor of sociology and women studies at Indiana University.  Haas will present a talk titled Fathers at the Frontier: The Impact of Social Policy on Men's Involvement in Child Care in Sweden.

The conference will host more than 50 speakers across a number of disciplines.  Some of the other featured topics are:

  • Deployment and Reunion, The Impact on Families
  • Parenting a Child with Significant Disabilities: Transition and Adulthood Considerations
  • Sex Offenders: 10 Things for Parents to Know
  • Changing Family Structures in the United States: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
  • ADD/ADHD in a Sociological Context
  • Teaching Parents How to Divorce
  • Parents' Roles as Leaders in Raising Successful Gifted Children: Social, Emotional and Psychological Development Today and into the Future

"The conference is a opportunity for individuals interested in supporting parents and strengthening families to learn the latest in research and practice and to network with professionals in the field," said  Dr. Arminta Jacobson, professor of development and family studies and founder of the Center for Parent Education and UNT's Conference on Parent Education.

Registration is available online. Early registration fees, before Jan. 30, are $95 for one day, $165 for two days or $230 for three days.  Discounted fees are available for members of The Association of Parent Education or the Center of Family Representation.  A full schedule of speakers and fees is available at the registration web site. 

For more information contact Jacobson at Arminta.jacobson@unt.edu or 940-565-2432.

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Alyssa Yancey (940) 565-3510
Email: Alyssa.aber@unt.edu

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