We’re excited to welcome families, educators, and community members back for our first Virtual ParentCamp of 2026—and to kick off the new year in partnership with Keene Elementary School for an evening of connection, reflection, and real conversation.
This January gathering brings together Keene Elementary families and the broader community alongside district leadership, including Deidre Joyner, Superintendent of the Christina School District, and YF Lou, Christina School District School Board Member and parent advocate.
As we begin a new year, Virtual ParentCamp offers a welcoming space to reconnect, share perspectives, and focus on what matters most for kids and families. This is not a presentation—it’s a conversation. Participants choose the discussions that resonate with them and engage in open dialogue that strengthens family-school-community relationships.
Whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning as part of the ParentCamp community, we’re glad to start 2026 together—listening, learning, and building connections that support every child.
Join us for Virtual ParentCamp on Wednesday, January 21, 2025, at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT / 6 PM MT / 5 PM PT, and be part of many more amazing Virtual ParentCamps to come this year.Register for Virtual ParentCamp: https://tinyurl.com/2026-01-21-vpc
Room 1 Let’s Talk About: The Anxious Generation: Raising Confident Kids in a Digital World
Facilitator Larry Holladay
Join Larry for a reflective conversation inspired by The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, as we share insights and explore ways to nurture resilience, balance, and connection for our children.
Larry Holladay is an educator and community leader who is passionate about strengthening family–school partnerships and creating spaces where families feel valued, heard, and connected. With experience supporting schools, caregivers, and communities, Larry brings a thoughtful, relationship-centered approach to conversations about student well-being and growth. Larry is a CIPL (Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership) Fellow and serves as a member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. At ParentCamp, he joins the circle not as an expert with answers, but as a collaborator—listening, reflecting, and learning alongside families to build stronger, more connected school communities.
Room 2 Stronger Minds, Brighter Days: Talking Mental Health and Resilience
Facilitator Nicole Draper
Nicole creates a welcoming space to talk openly about mental health, reflect together, and explore ways we can nurture resilience within our families.
Nicole Draper is an educator, literacy researcher at the University of Delaware, and co-founder of the award-winning business The Voiceover Couple. Grounded in education and community engagement, Nicole is passionate about creating inclusive spaces where families feel heard, supported, and empowered. She brings experience working with learners of all ages, supporting students with special needs, and developing resources for English language learners and families. Nicole is also active in service through advocacy events, adult education, and her church’s worship team.
Nicole also serves on the Gateway Charter School ParentCamp team and is a future guest on our podcast!
Room 3 Together for Kids: Building Meaningful Family–School Relationships
Facilitator Dr. Deirdra Joyner, Superintendent, Christina School District, Delaware
This facilitated conversation, led by Dr. Joyner, Superintendent of Christina School District, focuses on engaging families, strengthening relationships, and centering what students and families truly need. Participants will share experiences, listen to one another, and explore how schools and families can partner more effectively to support kids—because when relationships are strong, everyone thrives.
Deirdra Joyner is a highly respected educational leader whose career is grounded in excellence, equity, and a deep belief in the power of families and communities as partners in student success. She serves as Superintendent of the Christina School District in Newark, Delaware, leading one of the state’s largest and most diverse school systems with a clear focus on collaboration, integrity, and opportunity for every student.
With experience as a teacher and school leader, Dr. Joyner is widely recognized for guiding schools and districts through continuous improvement using data-informed decision-making and inclusive leadership practices. Her work centers on strengthening instruction, supporting educators, and creating learning environments where all students can thrive.
At the heart of her leadership philosophy—“Together for kids: building meaningful family-school relationships”—is a commitment to authentic parent and community engagement. Through open communication, collaboration, and shared responsibility, Dr. Joyner works to build trust and strong partnerships that support students, families, and the communities schools serve.
Room 4 Whole Child, Whole Family: Building Support Systems Where Every Child Thrives
Facilitator: YF Lou, Board Member- Christina School District , Co-Director – Make Us Visible Delaware and Parent
A ParentCamp conversation on student well-being, inclusion, and shared responsibility
Grounded in public health, equity, disability advocacy, and parenting lived experience—this topic invites families, educators, and community members to explore how we build safer, more supportive systems together.
Join this conversation to explore how families, schools, and communities can work together to support the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. Grounded in lived experience, equity, and public health, we’ll share what’s working, what families need, and how we create systems where every child belongs and thrives.
A graduate Master in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and an MSW candidate at Delaware State University, Y.F. Lou brings a holistic view to student well-being. Professionally, he applies over 15 years of experience as a Patient Safety Epidemiologist and Public Administrator to build safer systems for families.
Y.F. champions equity and inclusion as VP of the Christina School Board, State PTA Chair, founder of Delaware’s first AAPI-focused PTSA (DPEAP), and a founding member of the State AAPI Commission. He stays grounded in direct service as a 14-year Firefighter/EMT and a former Big Brother at Stubbs Elementary, ensuring his advocacy is always rooted in the real-world needs of Delaware students.
Most importantly, Y.F. is the proud father of two boys who both attended West Park Place Elementary. His personal journey raising a twice exceptional son with autism fuels his deep commitment to ensuring every child has the support they need to thrive.
Don’t forget to listen to The ParentCamp Podcast hosted by the amazing April F. Draine. There are some amazing episodes still to come with exciting discussions about impactful topics, sharing stories from ParentCamp schools, highlighting the amazing people we have met and learning from many of our strategic partners. Make sure you check out the show notes for links to all the great resources.
Listen to The ParentCamp Podcast on YouTube, Apple and Spotify.
You can find current and past episodes on our website under the Podcast tab – https://www.parentcamp.org/the-parentcamp-podcast/
With Appreciation,
Virtual ParentCamp Coordinator
ParentCamp
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If you would like to learn more about bringing ParentCamp or one of our family of camps (Career, Industry, Community, GrandParent, Student, Care) to your school or district, please reach out to Julie or Laura. We would love to walk with you on your family-school-community engagement journey.
Curious what ParentCamp is? Check out our videos on YouTube.
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Thank you to the Delaware Department of Education for supporting Keene Elementary and Christina School District on their ParentCamp family-school-community engagement Journey.
