The Parent Academy Communications System is unlike any other parentall involvement program offered today. Academy Concepts II, Inc. took its highly successful Parent Academy and linked it with a state-of-the-art computer system to form a completely unrivaled network of parents and schools.

Why is the Parent Academy Communications System so unique?

It starts with the Parent Academy - a program designed to greatly enhance parental involvement in our schools. Once a school joins in the Parent Academy and completes its training, it is ready to enlist an army of parent volunteers, ready to provide the school with the much needed extra eyes, ears, hands, minds, and manpower. These volunteers provide on-going support for the school while gaining valuable skills and experiences which can result in self growth, educational credits, and improved job opportunities.

Add to the mix a sophisticated computer system, setup with Academy Concepts video conferencing package, weekly computer training sessions, and the unlimited imaginations of the parent volunteers, and you have the Parent Academy Communications System.

Imagine, parents at different schools sharing ideas, information, and success stories "face-to-face" over the videoconferencing system, even though their schools may be miles apart. As the Communications System grows, these meetings could be held between schools throughout the country.

Now add the endless possibilities which can be found on the Internet. Explore new ways to improve your school, keep in-touch with the latest current events, or research a topic to help a teacher answer questions posed by the ever curious students.

The Parent Academy Communications System offers infinite benefits, including:

• Allowing teachers more time to teach and to prepare to teach our children.
• Providing a device for community or citywide town meetings through video conferencing.
• Promotes a closer working relatinship between the parents, teachers, and school administrators.
• Providing the school with a reliable source of in-school volunteers.
• Encouraging brainstorming between schools.
• Providing access to the information superhighway.
• Enhancing parents marketable job skills.
• Providing hands-on computer experience and training.
• Offering a better understanding of how your child's school works.

Success can be seen at the schools where the Parent Academy Communications System is up and running: improved attendance, better test scores, and greatly enhanced parental involvement. And as the school improves, so does the attitudes of the parents, teachers, administrators, and staff.

Anyone involved with using computers knows the technology is rapidly changing. Academy Concepts has kept the schools in the Communications System on the cutting edge by upgrading the computers, modems, monitors, and switching to digital telephone lines (ISDN).

The future of parent involvement in our schools is here today, thanks to Academy Concepts' Parent Academy Communications System and the parents and schools involved.

Current Communications System locations in Baltimore include: City Springs Elementary, Robert W. Coleman Elementary, George Washington Elementary, George G. Kelson Elementary, Arundel Elementary, Cherry Hill Elementary, Patapsco Elementary, William Pinderhughes Elementary, Gilmore Elementary, the Office of Monitoring and Compliance, and Community Building in Partnership.