Student Parent Week 2021

Student Parent Week 2021

Colorado State University’s Adult Learner & Veteran Services (ALVS) recognizes the hard work that student parents put into balancing family life, parenthood, and college coursework. Student Parent Week is to honor and recognize our student parents’ efforts in obtaining their degree while also providing them an opportunity to learn about the resources and support available to them to the CSU/Fort Collins community.

Schedule of Events
Week of February 8-12, 2021

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM MST

Student Parent Panel

Join the ALVS and our panel of amazing student parents as we gain insight into the complexities of parenting while pursuing a degree at CSU.

Join us on Zoom!

3:00 – 5:30 PM MST

Career Center – Exclusive Student Parent Hours with Jenny Kim

It’s Career Fair Week! Come chat with Jenny and get advice on resumes, translating parenting skills in an interview and in the job search, and ask about networking in a virtual world! Feel free to come and go as you please!

Join us on Zoom!
All Day

Scavenger Hunt

An activity for the entire family!
12:00 – 1:00 PM MST

Preparing for Financial Disasters (Canvas)

Life comes with many unexpected expenses and hardships along the way. Loss of a primary income, medical bills, and divorce can all lead to loss of savings, insurmountable debt, and possibly bankruptcy. Learn strategies and tips about how to best manage your finances during our current pandemic ,or in other types of financial disasters.

Join us on Zoom!
All Day

CSU Instagram Takeover

Follow along with Wolves to Rams Scholar, Susan Baden as she takes over Colorado State University’s Instagram today! Susan transferred to CSU last semester from Front Range Community College, is studying Natural Resources Management, and is a student parent!

Follow along on  CSU’s Instagram
2:00 – 3:00 PM MST

Finding Childcare with Dr. Karen Rattenborg

Are you a student parent? Are you interested in learning about child care options and resources in Larimer County? Finding child care can seem like a daunting task. Do you wonder how to even start the process? Join us as Karen Rattenborg shares pertinent information to help you find and pay for child care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Topics covered will include how to:

  • Find available child care
  • Find the right care
  • Pay for child care

Karen Rattenborg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at CSU and the Executive Director of the Early Childhood Center.

Join us on Zoom!
All Day

Ram Kidz Village Activity Paper Roll Windmill

In this session, children will learn how to make a working windmill with a recycled toilet paper tube! All other supplies are provided to enrolled RKV Families. All ages welcome! (Paper roll not included)

Paper Roll Windmill Instructions

Paper Roll Windmill Template

Paper Roll Windmill Video Tutorial

Enroll in RKV’s Spring Activity Bags for free here.
1:30 – 2:30 PM MST Project Self-Sufficiency – Reaching your Ultimate Selfpower

Are you a single parent student looking for support navigating your educational goals?  Project Self-Sufficiency provides a one-on-one advisor relationship to help student parents navigate college, scholarships, career exploration, job search, community resources and reduce barriers to success.

Join Amanda and Sarah to hear more about how Project Self-Sufficiency can help you reach your ultimate Selfpower!

Join us on Zoom!
4:00 – 5:00 PM MST

Kids and Money (CANVAS)

This class teaches parents how to communicate financial concepts to kids ages 5-12. We’ll cover allowances, piggy banks, the Save/Spend/Share concept, plus we’ll give an introduction to College Savings Plans.

Join us on Zoom!
All Day

Ram Kidz Village Activity
Go Away, Germs!

In this session, children will learn a few facts about germs and get to see a small science demonstration! Enrolled RKV Families will be provided a color-along workbook for this demonstration.

Go Away, Germs Instructions

A booklet about germs

Video Tutorial

 Enroll in RKV’s Spring Activity Bags for free here.
12:00 – 1:00 PM MST

Managing Student Loans (CANVAS)

Explore student loan debt issues and options to deal with them

Forty-four million Americans hold more than 1.4 trillion dollars in student loan balances, with the cost of repayment often leading to tremendous financial burden. This class will discuss options for repaying, reducing, or avoiding student loans. We’ll talk about grant and scholarship options, types of student loans, refinancing & consolidating, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and resources for more information.

Join us on Zoom!
1:00 – 2:00 PM MST

How to Advocate for Yourself as a Student Parent – with Aki Hosoi Ph.D.

Being a student parent is a juggling act, particularly when you are parenting during a pandemic. In this session we will discuss some of the challenges that may come up during the academic year, and how you can talk about these assertively and effectively with professors and other university staff. Participants are encouraged to bring in questions and concerns if there are specific areas where they have encountered barriers in the past and would like to brainstorm solutions.

Join us on Zoom!
4:00 – 5:00 PM MST

CSU Financial Aid Workshop

Come hang out with ALVS’s Financial Aid Liaison and find out tips and tricks to filling out your FAFSA and your CSUSA application!

Join us on Zoom!
All Day

Ram Kidz Village Activity
Intro to Origami

In this session, children will learn how to make two easy origami shapes, a ladybug and a talking dog! Supplies are provided to enrolled RKV Families. All ages are welcome!

Lady Bug Origami Instructions

Lady Bug Origami Video Tutorial

Talking Dog Origami Instructions

Talking Dog Origami Video Tutorial

Enroll in RKV’s Spring Activity Bags for free here.
1:00 – 2:00 PM MST

Rams Against Hunger

Come chat with CSU’s very own Rams Against Hunger Coordinator, Michael Buttram. He has amazing food resources to share including opportunities like RamRide Food Ops, the Meal Swipe Program, SNAP, and others!

Join us on Zoom!
2:30 – 3:30 PM MST

Student Parent Chat with Kimberly De Jong, M.A. NCC, LPCC

Join the Student Parent Organization with special guest Kimberly De Jong, current Academic Success Coordinator with CSU’s Undeclared Advising. As a former student parent herself, Kimberly will share her experiences of balancing school, family, and work-life and how these factors impact one’s mental, physical, and emotional health.

Kimberly moved to Fort Collins in 2013 as a single parent of 3 children to pursue a degree she started in 1994.  Using CSU’s amazing resources and finding a deep inner strength and resilience through her education, she finally graduated in 2016 with a B.S in Human Development and Family Studies. After a gap year, she went on to complete her Master of Arts in Counseling and Career Development, graduating in May 2020. During her time as an undergraduate student, Kimberly was involved in a peer advising program offered in the Human Development and Family Studies department at that time. This experience significantly changed the trajectory of her career. She now works as an Academic Success Coordinator/Student Advisor for students who are undeclared in the Collaborative for Student Achievement. She has found great joy and passion working with undeclared students. Helping students identify their strengths with the goal of ultimately overcoming real and perceived obstacles is where she has found her groove. Learn more at the ALVS Student Parent Chat with Kimberly De Jong.

Join us on Zoom!
All Day

Ram Kidz Village Activity
It’s Sporky! Toy Story & Minute to Win it Game Night

In this session, children will learn how to make their very own Sporky, RKV’s rendition of Forky from Toy Story! All ages are welcome and supplies are provided to those who are enrolled at RKV. Toy Story Workbook included!

It’s Sporky! Instructions

Toy Story Workbook

Enroll in RKV’s Spring Activity Bags for free here.