Parent Education Network

What Parent Education Network does

Parent Education Network (PEN) is a Toronto-based not-for-profit charitable organization founded in 1974 that delivers parenting education, coaching, and consulting services grounded in Adlerian psychology. Its curriculum is anchored in Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology and Rudolf Dreikurs' methodology, including the proprietary 'Mistaken Goals' framework, and is delivered through four primary workshop categories (Parent, School, Community, and Corporate Workshops) plus dedicated coaching services for families, couples, individuals, and tweens/teens. Workshop topics range from 'How To Talk So Kids Will Listen' and 'Positive Discipline' to 'Parenting Teenagers' and 'Children: The Challenge,' with completion certificates recognized by Family Court Ontario. Pricing is set per workshop, ranging from $325 CAD for the four-session 'How To Talk So Kids Will Listen' workshop to $625 CAD for the eight-session 'Children: The Challenge' workshop, with community and school modules priced at $350-$500 CAD per session. PEN operates with 1-10 employees and serves the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, distributing through direct consumer channels, School Advisory Council partnerships that tap Ministry of Education grants, referrals from community agencies and charities, and corporate wellness programs; delivery occurs via Zoom and in-person formats. The organization is funded through course fees, individual donations, and corporate donations after losing City of Toronto grant funding in December 2011, and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Roma Mehta with Kylah Harrington serving as Executive Director.

Name

Parent Education Network

Legal name

The Parent Education Network

Website

https://parenteducation.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Parent Education Network is a Toronto-based not-for-profit founded in 1974 that delivers Adlerian psychology-based parenting workshops, coaching, and consulting to individual parents, schools, community agencies, and corporations across the Greater Toronto Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parenting Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACALAA

Parenting Skills & Child Development Education

Education/Early Childhood Education/Parent Education & Family Engagement Programs

SECONDARYEDAAAFAF

Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

SECONDARYEDACALAG

Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks

Education/Early Childhood Education/Parent Education & Family Engagement Programs

Keywords

• Parenting education services
• Family coaching workshops
• Adlerian psychology training
• Positive discipline programs
• Parent-child communication

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Fees charged for parenting workshops and courses delivered to individual parents, couples, and groups
2. Donations: Relies on private individual donations, corporate donations, and course fees. Previously received city funding which was discontinued in December 2011
3. Corporate Workshops: Mental wellness workshops for employees offered to businesses and corporations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Parent Education Network delivers structured parenting workshops and personalized coaching/consulting built on Adlerian psychology. Offerings are organized into four categories (Parent, School, Community, Corporate) and delivered in-person or via Zoom, with certificates of completion recognized by Family Court Ontario. The organization also sells curated parenting books and publishes educational blog content.

Product overview

Parent Education Network (PEN) is a not-for-profit charitable organization founded in 1974, offering a comprehensive suite of parenting education services built on Adlerian psychology principles. The organization provides four main workshop categories: Parent Workshops (private in-depth sessions for individual families), School Workshops (for School Advisory Councils and educators), Community Workshops (for public agencies and non-profits), and Corporate Workshops (lunch-and-learn sessions for employees). Core workshops include 'How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk', 'Positive Discipline', 'Parenting Teenagers', and 'Children: The Challenge'. The workshop portfolio spans modules on confidence-building, responsibility, emotional intelligence, sibling dynamics, anger management, and co-parenting. PEN also offers personalized coaching and consulting services for families, couples, individuals, and tweens/teens. The organization provides resources including a curated selection of parenting books. Completion of parent workshops is recognized by Family Court Ontario.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent Workshops
• School Workshops
• Community Workshops
• Corporate Workshops
• How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk Workshop
• Positive Discipline Workshop
• Parenting Teenagers Workshop (STEP)
• Children: The Challenge Workshop
• Family, Couples, Individual & Tween/Teen Coaching and Consulting
• Curated Parenting Book Library

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, foundational and minor.

• Humber CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984In 1984, the Etobicoke Family Life Education Council (now PEN) moved into Humber College. Humber was interested in creating a parent education center and invited Joan Thornton to discuss a partnership. The organization hosted large-scale lectures at Humber featuring Barbara Coloroso, Leo Buscaglia, and Faber & Mazlish.
• Toronto Association of Individual Psychology (TAIP)foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1970Formed in 1969-1970 by Alan Dunn, Edith Dewey, and Milton Dewey. TAIP was the foundational Adlerian organization in Toronto that eventually led to the creation of PEN. Alan Dunn was a guidance counsellor who joined forces with the Deweys to advance Adlerian psychology in Canada.
• Ontario Society of Adlerian PsychologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliate association for Adlerian psychology practitioners in Ontario. Part of PEN's network of professional affiliations.
• North American Society of Adlerian PsychologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate association providing professional support and standards for Adlerian psychology practitioners across North America.
• International Committee for Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes (ICASSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational professional organization for Adlerian education and training. PEN maintains affiliation for continuing education and professional development.
• International Association of Individual Psychology (IAIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational association for Individual Psychology practitioners continuing the work of Alfred Adler.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alyson Schafer Parenting: Toronto-based Adlerian parenting expert referenced in PEN's own management background (Kylah Harrington was introduced to Adlerian Psychology by Schafer in 2010). Comparable Canadian/Adlerian parenting education competitor with overlapping audience.
• Positive Discipline Association: Global organization promoting Jane Nelsen's Positive Discipline methodology — the same curriculum PEN delivers in its Positive Discipline Workshop. Highly comparable as both a methodology steward and workshop/training provider.
• Hand in Hand Parenting: Nonprofit organization offering parenting classes, workshops, and a parent support community. Comparable as a parenting-education nonprofit with workshop-based delivery and community-building approach.
• Parent Encouragement Program (PEP): US-based Adlerian parenting education nonprofit offering workshops and parent training. Directly comparable as an Adlerian-mission, non-profit parenting education provider with similar workshop-based delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• The Gottman Institute: Relationship/parenting education organization offering workshops and certifications for parents and couples. Comparable in delivering structured parenting and family relationship workshops to consumers and professionals.
• Incredible Years: Evidence-based parenting program with structured group-based workshops for parents. Comparable as a scaled parenting education delivery model, though focused on behavioral intervention rather than Adlerian principles.
• Triple P (Positive Parenting Program): Evidence-based parenting program operating globally with multi-tiered interventions. Directly comparable as a structured parenting education delivery model, though significantly larger in scale and geographic reach than PEN.

Regional players

• Kids First Family Services: Canadian family services organization offering parenting programs, counseling, and educational workshops. Comparable as a Toronto/Ontario-based parenting education provider serving similar family and community audiences.
• Raising Children Network: Australian government-funded parenting resource network offering structured parenting education content and programs. Comparable as a comprehensive parenting education platform, though serving a different geography with public funding.

Others

• North American Society of Adlerian Psychology: Professional association that PEN is affiliated with, promoting Adlerian psychology practice. Comparable as an ecosystem participant and indirect peer shaping the methodology PEN teaches, though not a direct workshop competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ParentEdNetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/parentednetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parenteducationnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parent Education Network