The Family and Community Engagement Academy is opening this fall to parents of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) elementary school students in the upcoming school year.
Known as the FACE Academy, the program aims to strengthen ties between home and school while linking families to community support and boosting children’s academic growth.
There are slots for 50 families to participate, with priority reserved for two families per elementary school. Families should apply by Aug. 29. To apply, click here.
All sessions are held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The first session will be in-person at Billingsley Elementary School. The following sessions on Oct. 15, Nov. 12 and Dec. 16, will be held virtually. Meeting links will be sent to participants shortly before the sessions.
The academy was piloted at Eva Turner Elementary School last year with 15 families participating. The program gave parents supports and resources to reinforce and strengthen at home what their children are learning in school.
“Parents will love the FACE Academy experience because it allows an opportunity for you to participate in your child’s school community away from the report card, away from the testing,” Latosha Singh, a Turner parent who participated in the academy at the school said in a video feature. “This is an opportunity to come and build relationships, connect with the community and have fun.”
The content of the academy changes each meeting. One meeting may focus on how to encourage listening and adapt to structure, while the next may center around healthy recipes that parents can make with their children, following instructions and implementing math to create a finished product using teamwork.
“The commitment to strengthen our partnership with families is the overall goal of the academy,” Traci Chappelear-Thomas, DCEE director, said, earlier this year. We want families to be empowered to take a bigger role in their child’s success.”
The FACE Academy will begin sessions for families of students in middle and high school in Spring 2026.
Need to know
What: FACE Academy for families of children in elementary schools.
When: Apply by Aug. 29.
How: Click here to apply.
Bonus: Participants will have the opportunity to win iPads and gift cards.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).