The Parents’ Arena is an educational program offering basic training in Norwegian language, computer skills, and mathematics for parents with children in primary school. The focus of the training is to strengthen the skills parents need to be able to support their children’s education.
Since 2020, MiR has received support from Skills Norway (HK-dir) for the Parents’ Arena initiative. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the educational sole proprietorship Inkluderingsagenten (The Inclusion Agent), and with schools, Parent Councils (FAU), and local voluntary organizations. Currently, the Parents’ Arena is being conducted in Grønland in Oslo, in cooperation with Vahl School and its Parent Council, and with Sports Club Sterling. Vahl participates in the Education Agency’s focus on community schools and has hired a community school coordinator who, together with school management and parents, will strengthen cooperation between the school, local area, district, and homes. The Parents’ Arena naturally fits into such an initiative as it makes schools a learning arena not just for children, but also for their parents. At Vahl, the ambition is to offer childcare for parents who want to participate in the Parents’ Arena, and a dinner meal for children and parents.
The initiative for the first Parents’ Arena came from parents at Haugen School in Haugenstua in Oslo in autumn 2017. The program has previously been conducted under various organizations, including Intercultural Women’s Group (IKKG). MiR has previously conducted the Parents’ Arena at Granstangen School.