Festivities start with CEO throwing out the first pitch at Cardinals game; Conclude with Jubilee honoring the group’s founder at 2019 Conference
ST. LOUIS, MO – March 12, 2019 – Parents as Teachers, headquartered here and specializing in early childhood home visiting support to tens of thousands of families, is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a renewed commitment to community engagement.
Founded in Missouri in 1984, Parents as Teachers will commemorate the milestone with year-long events across its national network of 1,036 affiliate partners under the theme: 35 Years – Investing in Families, Impacting Communities.
“We plan to celebrate this important juncture in our organization’s history by giving our affiliates multiple opportunities to get involved in local projects where they could make a difference in their communities,” said Constance Gully, Parents as Teachers president and chief executive officer.
In addition to several planned events, Parents as Teachers offices are collecting stories from individuals about how the organization has impacted their lives. The stories will be cataloged in an audio format called StoryCorps® Archive Community and shared over social media platforms and preserved for future generations.
“We’re going to be leveraging the unique abilities and enthusiasm of our talented staff and affiliate partners to collect some stories that remind us of our shared humanity and to strengthen and build deeper connections between Parents as Teachers and the families we serve,” said Gully.
Other activities include: Parents as Teachers Day at Busch Stadium in April, where Gully will throw out the first pitch at the Cardinals vs Padres baseball game; a Professional Women’s Engagement Café in May, Professional Men’s Engagement Event for Fathers and National Roll and Read Day in June, National Day of Service in September, and the 2019 International Conference at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch hotel in October. The festivities will culminate with a 35th Anniversary Jubilee on the grounds and museum of the newly renovated St. Louis Arch. Parents as Teachers Founder Mildred Winter and other luminaries will be lauded there.
Parent educators and staff at the Parents as Teachers National Center in St. Louis, MO pose with Parents as Teachers Founder Mildred Winter (seated center) and Constance Gully, the organization’s president and CEO, (left) during Winter’s 98th birthday celebration. The day was also recognized as National Parents as Teachers Day and the kick-off to Parents as Teachers 35th-anniversary activities.
“This anniversary year gives us a platform to share our myriad accomplishments, and provides us with an exceptional opportunity to recognize the hard work of our affiliates, and thank our state leaders, supporters, board members and legislators for their dedication in helping us achieve three and a half decades of success,” Gully said.