Workshop participants listen to keynote speaker Jonathan Catherman with Franklin Covey Education. Courtesy/UNM-LA

UNM-LA News:

The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos and the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board (JJAB) hosted a parenting workshop, Raising Children in a Challenging World, Saturday, May 2 at UNM- LA.

Fifty-seven adults participated in the half-day workshop, highlighted by keynote speaker Jonathan Catherman, a Senior Consultant with Franklin Covey Education. Catherman’s talk was based on Stephen R. Covey’s New York Times bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families.

Breakout sessions followed the keynote address where topics such as developing leadership and strengths in children, raising children with “Love & Logic,” and cyber safety for children and parents were discussed.

A luncheon was provided thanks to the generous support from Zia Credit Union and the Los Alamos Co+op Market. Zia Credit Union also covered the cost of childcare for preschoolers.

Ark Child Development Center, Family Strengths Network, Los Alamos County Library System, Los Alamos Family Y, Los Alamos Police Department, Los Alamos Public Schools, and the Safe and Secure Online Program provided additional support.

Parents and caregivers all benefited from the workshop. “Very insightful and entertaining” and “A lot of great information” were some of the comments made by workshop participants.

Gabe Baca, Program Manager for Adult and Community Education at UNM-Los Alamos said, “We were happy to offer this program for families in partnership with JJAB. I spoke with several participants, including a couple of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. They were very appreciative of the content, the fact that the program was offered on a Saturday, and the child enrichment activities, which made it possible for them to attend. They were eager for more programs like this in Los Alamos County.”