This spring, Healthy NewsWorks delivered a half dozen Family Engagement Workshops, a new initiative to reach out to families and to students who don’t have Healthy NewsWorks in their classrooms. The workshops focus on key themes including healthy snacking, managing social media use, and de-stressing as a family.
Attendees said that the workshops were valuable, providing them with health information and media literacy skills to help them make healthy, informed choices and improve their overall well-being.
“We are in very, very challenging times,” said Denise Swygert-Huzzy, social services liaison at Universal Alcorn Charter School, where there was a workshop on social media. “I think every school and every community center would benefit from this workshop.”
Attendees leave the workshops with resources that they can use in their own lives, like recipe books, social media management tools, and stress-relief activities.
Social workers, therapists, and other subject experts also join the workshops to answer questions about the topic and provide advice to families.
“As parents and guardians, we need to be more in tune to how much time our children spend on social media and find alternatives for them—and for ourselves,” said Brenda Waltower, a parent who attended the social media workshop at Universal Alcorn Charter School.
The Family Engagement Workshops initiatives will continue into the 2025–26 school year to reach more schools and families.
If your school or community group is interested in hosting a Healthy NewsWorks family engagement workshop, you can learn more here, check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or contact Ginger Ragland, program associate, at gragland@HealthyNewsWorks.org
