The Kootenay Lake DPAC and the Kootenay Columbia DPAC are inviting SD8 and SD 20 parents and guardians interested in becoming a Parent Advocate to attend a free Advocate Training Seminar hosted by DPAC on April 17th at 6:30 pm via Zoom.

You may have already attended Advocacy 101 in January which was an introduction to Advocacy and how to advocate for your own child. This session, Advocacy Level 1, is geared towards parents interested in helping other parents and students. 

Sometimes our children face difficult problems or situations at school with which they are unable to cope alone. It could be a problem with a teacher, bullying, or a rule that seems unfair. The Kootenay Lake District Parents’ Advisory Council (DPAC) is proud to be able to help parents and students to be heard and problem-solve in a positive way by connecting them with a volunteer Parent Advocate.  The Kootenay Columbia District Parents' Advisory Council (DPAC) is working on creating an advocacy program in SD 20 that runs on the same principles.

Parent Advocates are parents in the district that have been trained to assist other parents navigate an issue or situation at school that may require additional support. Parent Advocates volunteer their time to help ensure our children and youth are treated fairly with dignity and respect, allowed to express their views, and participate in decisions that affect them.

Are you compassionate and willing to help people? Do you know how to find accurate information? Do you understand how policies,  procedures, and processes are implemented? Do you feel the need to speak up when others don’t? These are just a few of the skills needed to be a parent advocate. Any parent or guardian can become a parent advocate.

Instructor Susan Wilson will bring her experience and humour to this interactive and informative presentation, with over 20 years of providing advocacy support to parents in our district and throughout the province. 

Interested parents or guardians are encouraged to register for this training, even if you have attended in the past, whether you wish to become a parent advocate to help others, or if you are just interested in learning more about how to advocate for your child and yourself.

To register please use this link https://forms.gle/6UqxWTh5sNxH7UJw8

To learn more about this opportunity, email the Kootenay Lake DPAC at sd8dpac@gmail.com