Mercer Island Parent Edge helps locals learn and grow together

Published 9:30 am Friday, September 12, 2025

As another school year brings students back to their classes, Mercer Island Parent Edge is once again lending support to locals with a robust programming schedule in partnership with The Parent Venture and Parent Map.

Run by Islanders Jackie Tan and Michelle Ritter, the program within the Mercer Island PTA Council offers events and programs for parents, students and educators while encouraging dialogue and sharing best practices, according to its website.

Through a parent survey in the summer of 2024, Parent Edge identified three themes based on the topics that participants were interested in: achievement pressure, digital lives and technology and social and emotional skill building.

“Its goal is to equip families with ideas, insight and community to help them thrive in parenting,” said Tan, noting that they’re all on the parenting journey together and are there to help each other along the way. “I think when you’re with others, it normalizes your struggles. And so you can learn and grow together.”

Thus far, The Parent Venture virtual programs have delved into e-bike safety and “How to Be Your Child’s Favorite Conversation Partner.”

Upcoming events include the virtual “Building Bridges: Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices for Parents and Schools” from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 (with authors Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin); an in-person Island Books conversation on raising big kids with big feelings in today’s world at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 23 (with author Alyssa Blask Campbell and Janelle Lucero, co-founder of Pip Pop Post); and Parent Map virtual presentations on “Cracking the Teen Code: Spot Trouble, Build Trust and Stay Connected” from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 23 (with Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart) and “Raising Future-Ready Kids: What Every Parent Should Know About AI” from noon to 1 p.m. on Nov. 18 (with Sal Khan).

Tan likes the schedule they have on tap this year and noted that the topics have resonated with Islanders as well.

“I think moving forward, we do want to emphasize doing some little community discussions, because I think that’s where the deeper learning happens,” said Tan, adding that they do present follow-up Parent Circles for some events.

A pair of successful Parent Circles touched upon “Navigating School and Family Life from the Immigrant Experience” using a presentation by Dr. Belle Liang from Parent Venture’s programming; and one that focused on author Jennifer Wallace’s book “Never Enough,” which features Mercer Islander interviews while examining excessive achievement pressure and striving to overcome the toxic atmosphere.

“(For ‘Never Enough’) There were older parents that came, and they shared some wisdom about how they guided their kids through the school system to college. So that was really neat to see the learning between the older parents and the younger ones,” Tan said.

Tan, who has three kids in Mercer Island schools, has been involved in PTA since their Northwood Elementary days and then stepped into the Parent Edge realm.

“I wanted to get involved with something that complemented what I was doing in my professional work,” Tan said of the counseling field.

As Tan and Ritter’s children get older and move into high school and college, they’d like Parent Edge to have a fresh vision for the younger generation, Tan said.

“We would love a new generation of parents to help give shape to this beloved program,” Tan said of Parent Edge, which has been in existence for around 15-20 years.

For more information, visit https://miptacouncil.membershiptoolkit.com/miparentedge_home