Parents of “tweens” — middle schoolers in fifth through eighth grade — can get help with guiding their youngsters through the turbulent times of tweendom with a new program organized by the Bainbridge Island School District, Hyla Middle School and Raising Resilience.

The three entities have teamed up to offer a year-long series for parents of tweens on Bainbridge. Throughout the current school year, the project will offer education, tools and a gathering space to help parents move beyond crisis mode and into a more positive and intentional approach to parenting that develops essential internal strengths in parents and kids; and helps parents learn to love, listen, limit and laugh.

“Raising Resilience is very excited about this collaborative effort where parents can learn from, and with, each other and walk away with practical skills that will influence their parenting,” said Cezanne Allen, Raising Resilience chairwoman.

Organizers of the new series, “Parenting Right in the Middle,” say that when it comes to parenting tweens, the stakes are higher than ever. The traditional challenges of this age — identity, sexuality, risk-taking, communication with parents — are complicated by the dominance of technology and media in a broader culture of constant commotion, strain and stress that threatens the quality of family life. Parents on Bainbridge have said they need help to parent through these challenges with confidence.

The purpose of the project is to mobilize the community around its collective responsibility to tweens and parents. Organizers noted that over the past year, the Bainbridge community has made important progress toward building a sustained social structure to address the complexities of adolescence and parenting. The Healthy Youth Summits, co-sponsored by Bainbridge Youth Services, Bainbridge Island School District, Raising Resilience and Rotary, provided the momentum to launch a collaborative parent support program specific to the middle school years.

The project begins with a kick-off event from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Bainbridge High School library.

The meeting will introduce parents to “intentional parenting,” a science-backed approach to parenting that celebrates the essential development and emotional behaviors of this age while recognizing that parenting is an on-going practice.

The event will feature local pioneers in mindfulness and parenting, Kathie McCarthy and Karolynn Flynn.

“Parents of kids in this age range are in for a rich and uplifting opportunity. It’s a unique point for parental learning as kids break from almost total dependence to emerging independence,” said Pam Keyes, the school district representative in planning.

The suggested donation for this event is $10 per person.

The project will also host monthly classes and a spring workshop featuring several speakers.

The monthly classes will cover a range of hot-button issues for parents, such as how to communicate with your tween, tools for setting limits, boundaries and expectations, and how to respect growing autonomy.

The last event will be a panel discussion with local high school students sharing their perspective on the tween years.

The project also includes weekly tips via social media.

“This entire project is based on the understanding that parenting is a continuous effort that needs consistent support and encouragement,” said Vicki Jenkins, head of Hyla Middle School.

“We want to give parents time to gather, with each other and with experts, but we also know that weekly inspiration must be part of the plan,” she said. “Through social media we can maintain a steady stream of articles and videos to support parents in a way that meshes with their busy schedules.”

This one-year program is funded by a grant from the Bainbridge Community Foundation, co-sponsored by Raising Resilience, Hyla Middle School and the Bainbridge Island School District, with the hopes that it will continue into the future to support each new wave of parents of tweens.

More information about the project can be found on the Raising Resilience website, www.raisingresilience.org.

Parents are welcome to contact Jenkins with questions at vickij@hylamiddleschool.org.