Oklahoma's University for Parents | Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma's University for Parents (OK-UP) is a statewide initiative to help Oklahoma families strengthen parent-child relationships and build positive parenting skills.

OK-UP was created and facilitated by OSU-Tulsa faculty and graduate students, as well as the OSU Cooperative Extension. OK-UP seeks to to meet the need for parenting education in the state through community outreach. It is one of the first parenting initiatives of its kind in Oklahoma.

What we do

OK-UP offers live presentations, video screenings, panel discussions, networking opportunities for families and free parenting classes on topics including:

Discipline tools
School readiness
Building positive parent-child relationships
Stress management
Family routines
Finances
Family resilience

The initiative is sponsored by Oklahoma State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Science and the OSU Cooperative Extension with funds provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation. It has partnered with Tulsa Public Schools, Greenwood Cultural Center, Catholic Charities and Teach Not Punish.

Our team

Dr. Amanda Morris, George Kaiser Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Child Development and OSU-Tulsa professor of human development and family science.

Dr. Michael Criss, OSU associate professor of human development and family science.

Mallory Branch, OK-UP program coordinator.