Family Education & Support Services (FESS) is bringing local experts and community members together for a free, two-part Strengthening Families Community Conversation series on Oct. 8 and Oct. 15 at Educational Service District 113 (ESD 113) in Tumwater.
Both conversations start at 4 p.m. and run until 5:30 p.m.
The conversations are intended to help families navigate challenges associated with cyber safety and substance use, according to FESS.
“The threats facing families are changing and keeping up can be difficult. From sophisticated online scams and AI-powered fraud to cyberbullying, exploitation and new substances appearing in communities, parents and caregivers are often left trying to understand risks they may have never encountered before,” FESS said in a news release.
The conversations are designed to go beyond simply raising awareness. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from local experts, learn practical prevention strategies, ask questions and have an open conversation about concerns affecting local families and communities.
“These conversations are about giving families information they can use,” said Lynsi Polanco, development director at FESS. “The landscape is changing quickly, whether it’s the way scams and exploitation happen online or the emergence of new substances that families may not recognize. We want to create a space where people can learn from local experts, ask questions and leave with practical information.”
The first part of the series, “Cyber Safety in a Digital World: Protecting Families from Online Fraud, Exploitation, Digital Scams, Trafficking, and Cyberbullying,” takes place Oct. 8.
Presenters will discuss:
The second part of the series, “Emerging Substance Use Trends: Understanding the Rise of ‘Gas Station Drugs’ and What Families Need to Know,” takes place Oct. 15.
Topics will include:
Both events are intentionally designed to be interactive and accessible, according to FESS. Community members will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the presenters and bring forward concerns they may be seeing in their families, schools and communities.
FESS encourages parents, caregivers, grandparents, educators, youth-serving professionals, community organizations and anyone interested in supporting healthy families to attend.
The Strengthening Families Community Conversation series reflects FESS’s prevention focused approach to supporting families through education, connection and access to resources, FESS said in a news release.
“By creating opportunities for open dialogue with local experts, FESS hopes to help families recognize emerging challenges, understand available prevention strategies and strengthen the connections that help communities thrive,” a news release stated.
FESS works to inspire healthy child development through the provision of quality family support services. FESS provides prevention-focused programs, parenting education, peer support, basic needs assistance and connections to community resources designed to strengthen families and help prevent crises before they occur.
For more information about FESS and upcoming community conversations, visit www.familyess.org.
