Kent State University will host over 1,600 family members and their students to celebrate Parents and Families Appreciation Weekend. This Friday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Sept. 30, families from more than 23 states and Ohio will enjoy various campus events and activities.
“In my time overseeing this event, this is the highest number of registrants we’ve had,” said Shana Lee, M.Ed., assistant dean of students and director for parents and families engagement. “Last year, we had close to 1,100.”
In her role, Lee is responsible for ensuring parents and families are connected to the university and receive the necessary information so their students are set up for success at Kent State. She mentioned the main goal of Parents and Families Weekend is to learn and engage with the traditions at the university.
“We wanted to highlight some of the cool experiences and opportunities that our students have so that the parents and families can share in that as well,” Lee said.
The weekend allows the parents and families to have a different experience than the one they might have had when visiting the campus through orientation or a tour. Lee added it is also an opportunity for the university to show its appreciation for the parents and families.
“We know they do a lot for our students, and they mean a lot in their lives,” she said. “So, we try to be thoughtful in the activities we provide for them.”
Some of the events this year include:
- 41st Annual Black Squirrel Festival
- Make-and-Take activities in the Design Innovation (DI) HUB Reactor
- Esports Gaming Demonstration
- Wick Poetry Creative Writing Experience
- Paint and Sip
- Family Movie Fun Night
- Family Dessert Social at Halftime of the Kent State Football Game
Families will have the opportunity to experience what the Black Squirrel Festival is like and what the black squirrel means to Kent State University. The festival, hosted by the Flash Activities Board student organization, includes free T-shirts, live music, food trucks, student art vendors and more.
Parents and families can also learn about the DI HUB and its vinyl-cutting stickers, 3D printing keychains, and laser-cutting magnets machines.
Lee explained that Esports became a strong interest among students, and the Esports Gaming Demonstration will allow the families to learn more about organized competitive video gaming.
The Wick Poetry Center will host a creative writing workshop, and the Paint and Sip will lead families in creating a painting related to the university that they can take home.
The Alumni Department sponsors the Legacy Tailgate, which will acknowledge family members from different generations who graduated from Kent State and encourage those who are starting their legacy.
During halftime of the football game, University Housing and Culinary Services will host a dessert social and a gift basket raffle that includes a weekend stay at the Kent State Conference and Hotel, tickets to a sporting event, and a gift card to Daisy Pops.
“I hope the atmosphere will be electric,” Lee said. “I hope [the parents and families] find this an activity they want to do annually with their students.”
The 2023 Families and Parents Appreciation Weekend is sponsored by The Lake House - Kitchen & Bar, Kent State Conference Center and Hotel, Daisy Pops, Kent Sportswear, Kent State Athletics, Design and Innovation Hub, Division of Student Life, Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, Esports Gaming, Flashes Activities Board, Kent Student Center & Involvement, Office of University Events & Protocol, University Housing and Culinary Services, and Wick Poetry Center.
More information about the Parents and Families Appreciation Weekend