The King-Chavez-Parks College Day Programs, a group dedicated to increasing the number of minorities in higher education, presented its first annual parent conference Friday and Saturday at the Kellogg Center. The conference was titled, "Education, It's a Family Thing!"

Another theme of the event was also evident. Give a person a fish, they'll eat for a day. But teach a person to fish, they'll eat for a lifetime.

"So we're going to teach the parents to fish," said Joanne MacFadden, a coordinator for a two-day conference to help parents become more knowledgeable on the transition between high school and college.

"You've got to educate the total family, if you're going to educate the child," said Pamela Bellamy, director of the programs.

The conference featured Lansing City Councilmember Tony Benavides, John Matlock, MSU associate vice provost and director of the office of multicultural initiatives, and Lansing School District Superintendent E. Sharon Banks.

"For our first time, it went really, really well," said Paulo Gordillo, a coordinator for the programs.

The Office of the Provost, Office of Affirmative Action Compliance and Monitoring and Office of Vice President for Student Affairs and Services sponsored the event, and student workers volunteered to help direct the more than 80 parents to different sessions and workshops.

"We're building a family," MacFadden said about the students who had previously been involved with the organization.

"People are feeling like this is a family reunion."

Bellamy said the group first wanted to have the conference after parents in the community expressed a demand to know more about their child's future.

"Our particular mission is to provide educational programs and exposure to students in different communities," she said. "Every parent, every guardian, every grandma and grandpa want the best for their children."

The group hoped to open dialogue, Bellamy said, to help parents discuss various issues.

"I'm here just to learn more about programs," said Lansing resident Lucille Jones, who has a 10th grade daughter, and a son in sixth grade.

"I've learned a lot about the financial part. When I went to school, I didn't have that. I didn't have that knowledge."

Lee June, vice president of student affairs and services, helped sponsor the event and said she was pleased with the event.

"It's a chance for the university to outreach to the parents," he said.

"I've been pretty impressed with the extent of the dialogue."