Free, monthly two-hour workshops for parents, guardians and families facilitated by McGill staff, faculty and Montreal professionals.
- Overview
- How Spaghetti Nights Work
- What We Offer to Families
- Past Spaghetti Nights Workshops
- Press Coverage
- Questions?
Overview
Launched in 2012, Spaghetti Nights Family Workshops are a series of free, monthly two-hour workshops for parents, guardians and families developed through a collaboration between Branches. the Kahnawa:ke Education Center and the Riverview Community Learning Centre (CLC).
In 2019-20 we are hosting workshops at Verdun Elementary (Verdun) and Karonhianonhnha Tsi Elementary (Kahnawa:ke). Many of the families who participate have children in Branches' Homework Zone After School Mentoring Program. The workshop topics are suggested by parents/guardians and facilitated by McGill staff, faculty and Montreal-based professional educators.
The goal of the workshops is to provide accessible, helpful information and practical tools for parents/guardians to support their children’s development academically, personally and socially. Spaghetti Nights is also a safe, supportive community space for families to learn together and from each other.
How Spaghetti Nights Work
Workshops are offered once a month in school spaces on Thursday evenings and begin with a free spaghetti dinner at 5:30 pm for families, volunteers, and facilitators. Following dinner, a workshop is given for parents/guardians from 6:00 – 8:00 pm while childcare is provided by volunteers under the supervision of a Family Care Animator.
What We Offer to Families
- Engaging workshops and discussions in school spaces that send families home with new ideas, shared experiences and concrete tools on how to thrive in school and at home
- Free spaghetti dinner
- Free childcare
Past Spaghetti Nights Workshops
These are the titles of some of our past workshops:
- How to create a home environment for learning and school success
- Attachment: The cornerstone of parenting
- Making healthy meals quickly and on a budget
- Parents’/guardians’ tools for helping kids with their homework
- Financial planning for secondary and post-secondary education
Press Coverage
"Breaking bread during free parenting workshops" - May 2017, Montreal Families Magazine
"Spaghetti Nights Family Workshops: Giving parents a helping hand" - April 2017, McGill Reporter
Questions?
For questions about the program, or if you'd like to volunteer, please contact our Community Engagement Coordinator, Anurag Dhir, at anurag.dhir [at] mcgill.ca.
Childcare Volunteers Needed!
We are always looking for McGill students, staff and faculty to work with our Family Care Animator to make a fun and safe atmosphere for the kids while their parents are in the workshops from 6-8pm.
McGill students - this experience will be recorded on your co-curricular record!
Includes a free dinner and public transit tickets available upon request.
Workshop Facilitators Needed!
We are currently looking for McGill staff and faculty and Montreal educators to run workshops on topics suggested by parents/guardians:
Understanding the Growth Mindset
How to get kids interested in math
How to manage tantrums
How to save for your child’s education
Family time management
Raising children with special needs
How to cope with stress and anxiety
Transitioning from youth to pre-teen
