The Parent Project, a popular and proven course that helps parents address their teens’ destructive
behavior, will be offered once again this summer in Bowling Green.
This session will meet Thursdays from July 7 through September at the Wood County Educational Service
Center, 1867 Research Drive. The sessions will begin at 6 p.m. The fee for the course is $20, and the
entire fee is refunded if participants attend all sessions. Accompanying sessions for teens are free of
charge.
The course teaches parents strategies for preventing drug and alcohol use, violence and bullying, as well
as ways to improve the teens’ school attendance and performance.
More than 100,000 families have completed Parent Project classes all over the U.S., reports Lorrie
Lewandowski of the Educational Service Center.
With its unique blend of activity-based instruction, support, and dynamic curriculum, she said, the
course has proved to be highly effective. When the Parent Project was introduced by al judge to Minidoka
County, Idaho, juvenile offenses fell by 33 percent, drug-related probation violations were reduced by
20 percent, and the number of minors on probation for any cause fell by over 30 percent in the space of
two years (www.parentproject.com.)
The program’s track record in Wood County is also distinguished. According to an Educational Service
Center evaluation, parents who completed the Parent Project reported an 80 percent success rate in
dealing with their teens. The parents felt more confident communicating with their children, better able
to set consistent rules and boundaries, and more in control of their anger, Lewandowski said.
The curriculum uses a behavior modification approach to managing teen behavior problems at home. It also
lets parents support and learn from each other. In addition, each week of the course includes a
component for teens; a curriculum entitled "Choosing SuccessÉChoosing Life" that explores
positive alternatives to destructive behavior. Working side by side during the course helps parents and
kids establish a more positive model for their future relationship.
The Parent Project is offered in various Wood County locations three times each year.
For more information or to register for the July course, contact Lewandowski at (419) 354-9010, extension
113, or online at [email protected].