Mission: Parenting can be a difficult task in our increasingly complex society. Since its founding in 1982, PEP has taught positive parenting classes and workshops to help parents raise children who are competent, caring, and responsible. The program philosophy is based on the work of Dr. Alfred Adler and Dr. Rudolph Dreikurs, whose theories of positive parenting promote mutual respect, personal responsibility, cooperation and social inclusiveness and social interest.
Target demographics: parents and others who care for children learn positive ways to help children grow.
Direct beneficiaries per year: over 5,000 parents learn new and better ways to raise their children.
Geographic areas served: the Washington DC area
Programs: Over 175 volunteers join together to offer 150+ parenting education courses, workshops and community talks each year. Classes range from 1 to 10 sessions in length, meeting once a week for two hours. Over 1,800 different parents take the classes each year. Classes are taught by highly trained volunteers and are held in schools, churchs, synagogues, and community centers. Parents pay a fee for the classes, and fund raising supports the remaining 45% of costs. Need based scholarships are also available. In addition to the parenting education classes, workshops for teachers, and other child education professionals are offered. One time talks on positive parenting are given at PTAs, community groups and corporations. A bookstore and lending library are maintained by volunteers at the office location. PEP maintains a web site that offers updated information on classes, class status, special programs and items of concern to parents. Past issues of the newsletter (from 1990) are available on-line. A summer day camp for tweens with friendship and social skills challenges is run by child development professionals. A small staff (two full time and seven part time; 4.5 FTEs) provides support in publications, marketing and scheduling presentations.
PEP has given me powerful strategies to use with my child and in our child based business. I use the concepts as often as I remember with my son and they work beautifully. I also teach my instructors many of these strategies & concepts so they can apply in the classroom and camp setting. PEP's presentation of Adlerian Theory is on target and pragmatic, now I can respond with a loving message vs an emotional reaction or threat.