This fall marks the 50th year of Parent Education at Linn-Benton Community College. At its monthly membership meeting in September, the Parenting Success Network joined Linn-Benton Community College administrators to recognize this 50th anniversary, mark the milestone, and celebrate what is happening today throughout the region in support of families and caregivers.

Parent Education Beginnings

With a Home Economics grant from the state of Oregon, Parent Education at LBCC was launched in 1973.

The driving force in bringing Parent Education to LBCC was then President Ray Needham, who came from the state of Washington Community College System, where Parent Education was a part of all community colleges. He felt Parent Education was important and had a role to play at LBCC.

The program’s early days were focused on offering cooperative preschools and kindergartens, which were enthusiastically received throughout the Linn-Benton area because public kindergarten had not yet been instituted. Families in Scio, Brownsville, Harrisburg, and Alsea participated in providing their young children with early childhood education while building a community of parents who developed life-long friendships.

In 1975 leadership at LBCC expressed concern that the Parent Ed program was primarily invested in early childhood education programs. At their request, a renewed focus on Parent Education was implemented, which gave support to preschool teachers to learn the skills needed to provide classes to adults, parents, and caregivers.

From those beginnings, throughout the years the Parent Education program has supported families with young children, teachers in cooperative preschools, and training for teachers of classes for parents and caregivers. Says Bobbie Weber, Department Coordinator in 1977, “The parent ed program has supported an uncounted number of families [over the years]. People still come up to me to thank me for our work.” 

Ann Sharp adds, “When I mention to women in the community that I was involved in establishing the Parent Ed program at LBCC, they tell me about the Baby class they took from Susie [Nelson] and how they still get together with those parents after all these years. I’m still surprised when I hear people talk about being with their group 40+ years later.”

Parent Education at LBCC Today

Today, Parent Education at LBCC continues to offer parenting programs and workshops to support families. Parents and caregivers still have the opportunity to learn and grow together in Live and Learn classes and many others.

The LBCC website says it this way, “Parent Programs & Workshops offer:

• Short and long-term opportunities to learn more about being a parent.
• A variety of locations throughout the region to meet with other parents, including online options.
• A chance to get to know other parents in your community.
• A time for you to focus on what you need in order to grow as a parent.”

In addition, a number of local organizations help LBCC support parenting education. 

Pollywog provides assistance with prenatal and parenting classes, parent support, and referrals to appropriate primary health care, child development, and early learning opportunities for families with children between the ages of birth to 5 years.

The Parenting Success Network brings together area organizations to support families with children of all ages, from birth to 18 years. PSN also offers classes for parents and caregivers of elementary, middle school, and teenagers.

The Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties brings together over 200 partners to increase family stability, improve kindergarten readiness, and ensure families receive service coordination that is equitable, and culturally and linguistically competent.

The Linn-Benton Community College Parent Education department also maintains a Family Resource & Education Center, aimed at providing parents and caregivers with resources for finding childcare, becoming a childcare provider, professional development opportunities for current childcare providers, and pathways to participation in parent-child Live and Learn classes, parent cooperative preschool,  and parenting classes or workshops.

LBCC Parent Ed Timeline

We connected with early teachers and program coordinators, Ann Smart and Bobbie Weber, who provided this detailed timeline of the early days of the Linn-Benton Community College Parent Ed program.

1973  Parent Education Program launched.

1973-1976  The Brownsville and Scio Parent Child Coops opens, offering the Live and Learn with Your Preschooler or Kindergartner class.

1975  A Federal Vocational Grant allows LBCC to establish the position of Homemaking and Parent Education Coordinator. Ann Smart is hired to fill that role. During her first two years as program coordinator cooperative preschools are added in Crabtree, Riverside, and Alsea. The OSU family housing coop at Orchard Court moved to the Benton Center, and Live and Learn with your Special Needs Child is held in Corvallis. This program went on to become the Old Mill Center. 

September 1976  Susie Nelson begins teaching Live and Learn with Your Baby in Corvallis.  Louise Johnons is hired to run a child care lab in IA 227.

January 1977  Bobbie Weber becomes the Parent Ed Coordinator and begins teaching Live and Learn with Your Baby in Albany. The Parent Ed Scholarship Fund is created and the State Board of Education classifies Parent Education as a vocational program, which helped maintain funding for the program in the coming years. 

1979-84   The First Scholarship Fund Auction is held. An Alsea coop preschool is established by Ann Clark. The first Family Fun Raiser is held in May 1981. The program receives national recognition when Oregon is nominated for the Kellogg Foundation Excellence in Parenthood/Child Development Education award. Pam and Cory Dunn receive part-time faculty awards.

1985-1987 Susie Nelson, Al Krug, Christie Connard, and Joan Ash receive part-time faculty awards.

1988-1990  Child Care Resource and Referral Services opens and Family Resources becomes a Department. The Family Resource Center also opens. Ann Clark, Susie Nelson, and Linda Nelson receive part-time faculty awards and the Aspen Institute awards a rural development grant to the department.

1991-1993 The Even Start Family Literacy Program and  Barbara Bush Family Literacy Program begins. Great Start home-based parent ed begins in Brownsville. Anna Chase, Rosie Weidmann, and Holly Whitworth receive part-time faculty awards

1994-1997 LBCC Parent Ed Department develops parent education classes for the state Children’s Services Division (Oregon Department of Human Resources) CCRR is renamed Family Connections and expands services. Lisa Richardson, Maurita Davis, Beth Tevlin, and Louise Johnson receive part-time faculty awards. The College and State Boards approve the Child and Family Studies degree and certificate programs.

1997-98 The Child and Family Studies program is launched. Family Resources celebrates 25 years. Bobbie Weber becomes Director of Family Resources. Education/Child & Family Studies becomes a department, with May Garland as Chair. Marcia Bollmand and Joanne Hunter receive part-time faculty awards.

Through LBCC Parent Ed, the Parenting Success Network, and Pollwog, the work begun in 1973 continues today.

50 years ago, LBCC was instrumental in bringing Parent Education and support from families to Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties in Oregon. That support continues with a variety of classes for area parents. 

Details about current classes can be found on the websites of both Pollywog and the Parenting Success Network.