Established over 35 years ago as part of the Jamestown Community Learning Council, PACT is designed to foster meaningful parent engagement during a child’s earliest school experiences.

For more than three decades, the PACT Program — Parents and Children Together — has played a vital role in strengthening the connection between families and schools at Love Elementary School.

Established over 35 years ago as part of the Jamestown Community Learning Council, the program is designed to foster meaningful parent engagement during a child’s earliest school experiences. At Love Elementary School, the program continues to evolve to meet the needs of families, offering opportunities for parents to actively participate in their child’s education.

LiKetia McAffee, who has served as the program’s parent coordinator since 2019, said PACT is built around helping families better understand how young children learn and develop in collaboration with teachers Patrick Cunningham, Beth Strong, and Sara Whitton.

“The PACT program fosters student growth by educating parents on child development, emphasizing the significance of learning through play and attendance in Universal Pre-K,” McAffee said.

Through the program, parents are not just observers — they are active participants. Families regularly join their children in the classroom, taking part in activities designed to support early learning and strengthen the connection between home and school.

“Through joint participation, parents and children engage in enriching activities such as story time, music, art, and language literacy,” McAffee said. “In addition to regular classroom visits, our program offers family engagement events throughout the academic year, organized by the UPK teachers and myself.”

That hands-on involvement is intentional. By bringing parents into the classroom, the program helps create consistency between home and school while reinforcing the idea that families play a critical role in a child’s education. Participation also helps build confidence, encouraging parents to stay engaged and explore additional opportunities within the school community.

Beyond the classroom, the program provides support for the whole family. Parent groups focus on topics such as potty training, learning through play and nutrition, while early screenings help identify potential educational or developmental delays and connect families with services before students enter kindergarten.

PACT also offers daily opportunities for families to experience classroom routines firsthand, including DEAR — Drop Everything and Read — and circle time. Monthly parent-child interaction activities are tailored to key developmental areas such as motor skills, language and cognitive development, and social-emotional growth.

The program extends into the broader community through family engagement events and partnerships with local organizations. Throughout the year, families take part in events such as family nights, in-class celebrations, and the school’s first “Spread the Love Valentine’s Day dance,” as well as field trips to the Erie Zoo, James Prendergast Library and the Jamestown Community Learning Council’s Roll and Read event.

For McAffee, the most meaningful part of the program is the relationships it helps build with families and the support it provides beyond academics.

“I take pride in serving as a trusted resource for parents, addressing their diverse needs, whether its assistance with housing, support in pursuing employment, parental support, or connecting them to essential services,” McAffee said. “I enjoy advocating for families and guiding them through their child’s first school years.”

At its core, she said, the program is about partnership — bringing families, educators and the school together with a shared focus on student success.

“I strive to empower parents by highlighting the importance of their role as a Love school parent, helping them to understand that their voice is valued,” McAffee said. “Ultimately, its crucial for the school, teachers, and the parents to work collaboratively towards a common objective: student success, which is what the PACT program brings to Love Elementary School.”