Applications Closed for the 2025–2026 Academic Year

 

Thank you for your interest in our program. We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025–2026 academic school year, and the application process is officially closed.

 

Information about the next application cycle will be available in the spring when applications reopen for the 2026–2027 academic school year. We encourage you to check our website for updates at that time.

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For questions, contact Kayla Denton at kndenton@olemiss.edu

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More About Parent Academy  

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Parent Academy is a free program designed to help parents prepare their four-year-old children for a successful start to kindergarten.  The program covers kindergarten-readiness topics such as oral language, early reading, math, and general development. The modules are conducted monthly at a local partner site, focusing on eliminating barriers to access by providing childcare on-site, food and beverage, and activities families may take home and use with their children to support their learning and development. Parents who complete the program will be honored during a graduation ceremony. 

  

Initially developed by the Barksdale Reading Institute (BRI), Parent Academy was successfully implemented in 32 schools statewide between 2016 and 2019. More than 1,400 parents and caregivers attended and graduated from the program.  Parent Academy has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents who have participated in the workshops. 

  

“Parent Academy has given me tools and resources I didn’t even know I needed. I’ve been telling my friends about it,” said Christabel Hamilton, an Oxford parent who completed the program in 2020. 

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The program was relaunched for the 2024-2025 academic year under CELI leadership in partnership with MSGLR communities. CELI will also launch a revised website to provide additional resources to parents participating in the program. Click here to read our Pilot Evaluation Report.  ​​

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Reflecting on the program’s impact, MSCGLR Director Alissa Hobart says she is “excited to see Parent Academy continue to grow across our state” and hopes “every family will feel empowered, and every child will walk into kindergarten feeling confident, curious, and ready to learn.”

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The 2025–2026 program kicks off this fall in 7 different communities! Stay tuned here and follow @msglreading to find the Parent Academy program closest to you!

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