A group of people sit around a table with food and red cups

Fulton Independent’s Parent and Youth Café typically draws around 20 people each event. Photo provided by Fulton Independent

Fulton Independent has been fostering family engagement through its Parent and Youth Café program.

On the first Thursday of each month at Carr Elementary, families in the Fulton Independent school district gather to share a meal before splitting into sessions by group: parents, youth (5th-12th) and childcare for families with younger children. Within the groups, they participate in age-focused structured activities and conversations.

“It’s really impactful,” said Fulton Independent Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) Coordinator Tracy Pulley.

Pulley highlighted the program’s uniqueness in involving the entire family, with parents and youth engaging in parallel discussions that strengthen bonds and encourage meaningful interaction.

The Parent and Youth Café offers a space to speak openly, free from judgment, and receive support from others.

Pulley said the event typically sees around 20 participants each session, with the largest session drawing more than 50.

She described how sessions usually include conversational cards, with five to six people seated at each table alongside a host. The cards prompt discussions on topics including knowledge, support, resilience, communication and relationships.

“It’s really interesting to be able to discuss things with people you don’t know super well in an empathetic way … it really does foster a sense of community,” Pulley said.

The concept comes from evidence-based practices developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy and was later adapted as part of the Kentucky Strengthening Families Initiative from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Each session centers around five protective factors: social connections, concrete support, knowledge of adolescent development, cognitive and social-emotional competence, and youth resilience. These elements help ensure families are built on strong, healthy relationships.

For youth, the goal is to promote leadership while boosting confidence and self-belief, helping them recognize all they’re capable of achieving. Middle school student leaders, trained to guide and supervise, facilitate the youth conversations and activities.

Every other month, students hold a planning session to choose which protective factor to highlight in the next Parent and Youth Café session, brainstorming games and activities that align with that theme.

Lee Carol Threatt, a health educator at the Purchase District Health Department helps lead the Youth portion of the program.

“I love that this program is youth-led, it gives the children an opportunity to feel empowered and in charge of their own futures. It is always rewarding to see a shy student come out of their shell,” she said.

Threatt also noted that each session follows a set of what they call Café Agreements to maintain a safe and respectful environment.

“One agreement that stands out to me is: ‘I will not give advice to others.’ I love this one because it allows students to share their feelings openly without the pressure of receiving solutions,” she said.

The parent portion is led by Cayce Batts, a former social worker at Fulton, whose main goal is to provide parents with a space to talk about all aspects of parenting in a validating environment.

“I have parents that will say when they leave, ‘Oh my goodness, this was so good. I can’t wait to come back next week. Can we do this more often?’ because they say that it’s just a very encouraging space for them,” she said.

Batts said the most significant impact she’s seen is the sense of community built within the school system and the promotion of healthy parenting practices.

She said the space isn’t meant to be critical or judgmental of anyone’s parenting style, but rather a place for people to come together and share their experiences and challenges.

Batts encourages other schools to adopt the Parent and Youth Café, calling it an “easy way to implement a program to promote parental engagement.”