About Us

The Florida Parental Information and Resource Center at the University of South Florida (Florida PIRC at USF) is a federally funded project of the US Department of Education which began in October, 2006. Our office is located on Fletcher Avenue in Tampa.

The Florida PIRC at USF provides training and technical assistance to schools and districts on ways to effectively involve parents in their children’s education in order for all students to achieve at the highest academic level. The Florida PIRC at USF also helps schools and districts meet the requirements for parent involvement of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Title I legislation. The Florida PIRC at USF especially seeks to support families of children who may be educationally disadvantaged because of economic factors, differences in language, or learning challenges. Significant emphasis also is given to supporting early childhood parent education, recognizing that a solid foundation for learning is best established in the early years.

The goals of the PIRC are designed to increase parents’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in becoming engaged in their children’s education in meaningful ways as well as to increase the knowledge of educators in parental involvement that is related to academic achievement.

Mission: To empower Florida’s families to support children’s academic success through leading edge parent involvement practices and partnerships.

Vision: Florida’s families will be effectively involved in their children’s education so all students can realize their full academic potential.

Core Values:

• All children and their families deserve opportunities to succeed, regardless of any demographic, geographic, or economic factors.
• Established and emerging research is the foundation of family involvement training, materials, and services for parents and educators.
• An understanding and appreciation of the history and traditions of diverse cultures is essential in serving families.

For a complete look at who we are and what we do, please see our Logic Model.

Every state and US territory has at least one PIRC. Some states have more than one.

In Florida, we are fortunate to have two PIRCs: our Florida PIRC at the University of South Florida (USF) and the Florida PIRC of Family Network on Disabilities (FND). 

PIRCs serve all districts in Florida, however federal guidelines require funds to be allocated in this way: at least 50% to serve economically disadvantaged families and at least 30% for early childhood parent education.

• Links on this site are listed as a public service and are only examples of websites that may be of interest to families and educators. The listing is not necessarily inclusive of all possible links of interest. Listing of a link does not mean that the corresponding website reflects the views or is endorsed by the Florida PIRC at USF or the University of South Florida. Individuals who choose to use the links should understand that they are offered only as a convenience, and USF and the Florida PIRC at USF take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided at these sites.