Meet Melanie. Upcoming Events. Hopelessly Gifts. Father's Day Blog.
If you're having trouble viewing this email, you cansee it online.
Meet Our New Executive Director!
Hello PEN Community!
I'm Melanie Piazza, the new Executive Director of Parent Engagement Network, and I'm excited to introduce myself.
I came to PEN driven by a deeply personal passion for supporting parents. My own journey into parenthood was marked by infertility, unexpected overwhelm, and a profound sense of losing myself. The moment that changed everything came while driving on the highway, when my inner voice said: "It takes a village to raise a child. And I don't have one." In that instant, I committed myself to helping parents find and build their villages.
PEN has been doing exactly that for 25 years. Getting to know this organization and the people behind it is proving to be one of the greatest joys of this role. The tenacity, heart, and commitment that have carried PEN through two and a half decades are alive and well — and we are just getting started!
This summer we are working on exciting new initiatives that will launch this fall, and we cannot wait to share them with you. Our theme for the year ahead is "Roots and Wings" – a nod to our rich history and our blooming future.
I am so grateful for the warm welcome I have already received and proud to be part of this remarkable community. We couldn't do this without you. And I wouldn't want to.
In gratitude,
Melanie Piazza
Upcoming Programs & Events for Parents
Fentanyl: What Every Family Needs to Know
Join us for this very important – and life-saving – educational program.
Facts and myths about fentanyl.
How to identify an overdose.
How to save a life with Narcan.
Why fentanyl testing strips don’t always work.
What laws protect your child when calling 911.
Presented by:
Trina Faatz, MA, CPFS, PRC, ADS. Affected family member and parent.
Mila Long, CAS, ADS, Brainspotting Therapist, Registered Psychotherapist, Peer Recovery Coach. Person in recovery with lived experience.
October 1, we invite you to join us for Roots & Wings, our 25th Anniversary Celebration, an evening of storytelling, celebration, and vision. You’ll hear from parents who started it all, meet parents and families whose lives have been changed, and have the opportunity to shape what comes next. The night will include dinner, dancing, and an auction. We can’t wait to celebrate an incredible 25 years of supporting parents and families!
Save the date. More information coming soon!
Parenting Well: Hopelessly Gifted with Mark Talaga
"The complex is simple and the simple is complex.”
Mark Talaga, host of the podcast Hopelessly Gifted, joins Dr. Shelly for a deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of intelligence, identity, achievement, and emotional well-being.
Through candid storytelling and hard-earned insight, Mark examines what it means to grow up labeled as “gifted” and the pressures, expectations, and emotional complexities that often come with that label.
In celebration of Father’s Day, June 21, we’re sharing a thoughtful reflection shared by guest blogger, Mike Whitaker - “Whit”, on what it means to stay engaged with our children amid the challenges and uncertainties of a rapidly changing world.
This piece was inspired by an interaction with a dad attending a PEN-hosted Navigating AI workshop, where Whit and Bobby Hodgkinson presented.
Today and every day, we celebrate all of the incredible dads and father figures who continue to show up - even when it’s uncomfortable or uncharted territory. We see you, we honor you, and we're here to support you and your parenting journey.
