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Family education classes accepting participants The Parents and Children Together (PACT) family education program will begin the next 10-week session on Sept. 12 for parents and their children ages 6 to 36 months.   Family educators who hold a master’s or Ph.D. and professional early childhood teachers provide family support through weekly classes that focus on strengthening families through education and networking. Each class begins with hands-on parent-child activities and ends with a parent discussion period, during which the children play with early childhood educators.   PACT aims to create an environment that will foster brain stimulation and positive emotional and intellectual experiences for young children, because research has shown that these experiences have a large impact on children’s development. According to the Families and Work Institute, such factors influence both the children’s general development and the intricacies within their brains.   The non-profit organization is modeled after the nation’s oldest and largest family support program, Minnesota’s Early Childhood Family Education Program. The PACT mission is “to strengthen families by enhancing the confidence, competence and knowledge of parents through learning opportunities for both parents and children.” Since its creation in 1992, PACT has provided these services to 4,000 parents and children.   Kathy Sloan, a pediatric nurse practitioner at MUSC, will facilitate the PACT classes this year. Classes mostly take place in the morning and will be held at five locations in the Charleston area. Registration for the fall session ends Nov. 19. To register, parents may call 769-5799 or e-mail pact2@bellsouth.net.   Friday, Aug. 26, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.