WICHITA MOM WINS TRIP TO WASHINGTON, D.C.

TO REPRESENT KANSAS AT PARENTING MAGAZINES MOM CONGRESS ON EDUCATION AND LEARNING CONFERENCE
JUANITA BLACKMON TO JOIN PARENTING, U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN, AND ONE OUTSTANDING MOM EDUCATION ADVOCATE FROM EVERY STATE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. APRIL 29th MAY 1st Wichita, KS, April 4, 2012 Parenting magazine today announced that Juanita Blackmon of Wichita has been selected to represent Kansas at the third-annual Mom Congress on Education and Learning conference in Washington, D.C. this April 29th through May 1st. Blackmon was chosen for her outstanding contributions and dedication to improving local schools. A total of fifty-one delegates, representing each state and the District of Columbia, have been selected by Parenting from a record-setting number applications submitted through Parenting.com. Each will receive an all-expense-paid trip to D.C. for the event, where theyll have the opportunity to connect with national leaders in education, Parenting editors, and past Mom Congress delegates to exchange ideas on how to improve our nations schools. This is truly a dynamic blessed opportunity to interact on a national level, with the work I do locally, says Blackmon of her excitement to be a part of Mom Congress. I am passionately delighted to be a part of Mom Congress. The theme of the 2012 Mom Congress conference, Teach Me Something New, is dedicated to fostering the crucially important relationship between parents and their childrens teachers. For the third consecutive year, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan headlines the roster of education and advocacy leaders scheduled to address the delegates at the conference. Others scheduled to appear include NBC News Education Nation, First Lady Michelle Obamas Lets Move!, Save the Children, National PTA, National Education Association, Teach for America, and more. In her work as an education advocate, Juanita Blackmon has championed numerous causes for children, families, and communities in Wichita and Kansas. An early pioneer in closing the achievement gap which exists among children of color, Blackmon founded Sista Girl Book Club and the Boys Book Club, after-school programs designed to teach social skills while improving academic studies. Juanita is also the Founder/CEO of Millennium Moms Empowerment Network Inc, a grassroots

organization committed to improving the quality of life for residents in low income neighborhoods of Wichita. Juanitas community service expands into the Criminal Justice System and Prison Systems. As a Reform Specialist, Juanita has volunteered over 30,000 hours of dedicated service since 1990. Empowered and inspired by attending the conference, past delegates have returned to their states to create significant change in their school systems, affecting the lives of thousands of children nationwide. In 2010, delegates worked with Parenting editors at the conference to create the Lesson Plan for Change, a blueprint to empower parents to get more involved in their childrens education that appeared in Parenting School Years magazine and the bestselling companion guide to the documentary Waiting for Superman. The 2011 class of delegates accomplishments include the creation of a nationwide book drive in support of early literacy, Books Make it Better; recognition through The White House Champions of Change program; the improvement of several school lunch programs across the country; and the development of new educational resources and programs in nearly every state, from early science education workshops in Florida to a new parental advocacy program, Camp Educate, in California. Faculty members from Georgetown Universitys School of Continuing Studiesthe Mom Congress educational providerwill lead informative sessions at the conference this year, offering advocacy training workshops to help delegates take what theyve learned and put it to work in their own communities. Driven by the ever-increasing role that parents play in advocating for positive change in the education system, Parenting magazine launched the Mom Congress initiative in 2009 to celebrate and connect parents working to improve our nations schools. Each month, Parenting and Parenting.com give readers and the 25,000+ Mom Congress members updated educational news and resources to help them make a difference and bring about positive changes for students. For more information, visit Parenting.com/momcongress. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Victoria Livadas victoria.livadas@bonniercorp.com T: 212.779.5312 About The Parenting Group The Parenting Group, home of the Parenting, Babytalk and Conceive brands, reaches moms over 15 million times every month through magazines, digital media, custom content, and events. TPGs publications include: Parenting School Years, for moms with children in kindergarten through elementary school; Parenting Early Years, for moms of infants, toddlers and preschoolers; Babytalk, for new moms and moms-tobe; and Conceive, for women trying to get pregnant. TPGs other media properties include: the Babytalk Pregnancy Planner; the Parenting.com and ConceiveOnline.com

web sites; MomConnection, a nationally-representative online research network; and a custom content unit. The Parenting Group is a division of Bonnier Corporation.