Each year, Prince Willam County Public Schools (PWCS) hosts a Title I FamilyCamp event, fostering a sense of togetherness and creating an opportunity for knowledge-sharing among families, school staff, and community partners. This year's event, held at Hampton Middle School, provided parents with a selection of 24 informative sessions related to instructional opportunities, mental health and behavior, and community connections. Session topics included gifted and advanced academic opportunities for students in PWCS, athletics, managing anxiety and stress, and more.

Presenters included school administrators and education professionals in collaboration with local organizations and county agencies. In addition to the sessions, the event featured a resource fair to help parents understand what community resources are available and how to access those resources.

While parents attended sessions, the Title I KidCamps provided safe and fun activities for the children in attendance. Students enjoyed a magic show and participated in movie making, coding activities, and yoga.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. LaTanya D. McDade was the keynote at the event and emphasized the importance of family engagement in schools and its positive impact on academic achievement.

“Events like FamilyCamp empower parents with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to support trustworthy partnerships and ongoing advocacy for our students,” shared Dr. McDade.

Families left the event with books and resources to practice some of the strategies they learned; children also left with books and supplies.

“Putting on the annual FamilyCamp is a collaborative effort with many PWCS departments and county agencies working together,” said Laura Pumphrey, administrative coordinator for Title I. “The parents in attendance shared that they learned a lot about what is in PWCS and in our community to help them with students. One parent told me her student didn’t want to leave!”

The Title I program provides financial assistance through state educational agencies to local educational agencies and public schools with high numbers or percentages of low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic content and student academic achievement standards. There are currently 30 Title I elementary schools, eight Title I middle schools, and three Title I high schools in PWCS.