Parent network to begin at GCC

September 25, 2007

Many students at Greenfield Community College face challenges that most average students at four-year colleges aren’t as likely to face. Some work full-time jobs, others have been out of school for a while and haven’t been in the practice of studying and attending classes. Others have families they are taking care of and some are even single parents.

Students in the last two categories now have a support system to help them succeed at GCC. Stephanie Gale, a student and single mom, has organized a new group called The Parent Network. “It’s about supporting each other,” Gale said. “What I want to be able to do is come up with a book of names of other parents at GCC. It says what his or her class schedule is and I’ll give copies to other students so that in an emergency they can call someone else from the group and ask for a ride. In the future, I would also like to be able to talk about staying well while in college — eating well, balancing time management and spending more time with kids.”

Lindy Whiton is the coordinator of the Next Step Up Program at GCC, which helps students who have gotten their GEDs step up to the next level by entering college. Gale is part of that program. Whiton said she meets with her students and looks into what the biggest challenges are for them, so that the college can find ways to help them achieve success. “Last semester, one of the hardest things for the students was childcare — if you have a sick kid or childcare falls through and you have to stay home from class, the absences can become an issue.”

Whiton is helping Gale with the new network. “We want to brainstorm ideas, and then see what’s doable and what is not,” she said. The Parent Network had its first meeting this month, but only a handful of people showed up. Gale thinks that there are more people at the college who can benefit from the group and hopes the word spreads that the group is forming. Gale said that GCC is definitely the place to be if you are a single-parent because the school offers so much support that you can make it work in your life.

The Women’s Resource Center is a big help for these students on campus. “You want to succeed and almost feel like can’t when you have a kid,” said Gale, who has a 2-year-old daughter. “It’s about figuring out what you can do and what you can’t. A lot of people in the Next Step Up program are parents and are having a hard time staying in school because of everything that comes up in life. We talked about these things at the meeting because for the rest of college you may need this kind of help.”

The Parent Network plans to have regular meetings, with the next one on Oct. 1 at 12:15 p.m. at GCC. The room has not been chosen yet. For more information, please contact Whiton at 775-1828.