Detroit families get free dental services, books, advice at back-to-school event

On one end of a school gym, buckets of pink and blue glue lined a glitter-covered slime-making table. As some families made slime, the sound of dribbling basketballs echoed through the room from kids and adults playing basketball at the other end of the gym.

The Detroit Parent Network’s free annual Young Inventors event at University Preparatory Academy in Detroit on Wednesday also provided health and dental checkups, health care access, and opportunities to get involved in education and childcare policy advocacy.

DPN Senior Director for Programming and Impact Remy Sirls said the event was meant to give caregivers and children something fun to do while increasing access to resources.

“We want to equip parents with information, educate them about maybe some things that they might not know about, and empower them with the resources to be able to do what it is they want to do,” Sirls said. “How do they adapt that to their life? So not telling people at all what they should be doing or how to do that, but giving you just access to the resources.”

Students normally present creative projects at the event, but attendants participated in other activities this year.

DPN introduced new activities such as a “passport to literacy” that kids could get stamped at every station to receive a prize.

Families could also trade books at a “take a book, give a book” station that offered new books for various reading levels.

Children could also submit their ballot in two mock elections: Cookie Monster versus Elmo for president, and Android versus iPhone.

Jessica Walk and her 2-year old daughter came out because they were looking for a fun way to get out into the community. They especially enjoyed the slime-making table.

Cousins Alakai and Abel McClain helped DPN set up the event. Alakai, a youth volunteer with DPN entering 10th grade, helped Abel set up the craft table. Abel, an incoming sixth grader at Lincoln Middle School, was also a fan of the slime table.

DPN Program Manager Toyja Bridges, who has helped run the program each year, especially likes watching families do experiments and fun activities with their kids.

“It’s good quality family time,” Bridges said. “It’s amazing. I just love to see people come together.”

DPN , which has hosted the event twice before, is a parent engagement organization that helps parents advocate for their children and create change in their schools and community.

Alex Klaus is a summer intern for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at aklaus@gmail.com .