In the all-purpose room at Deerfield Run Elementary, Jordan McCombs sits on the floor with two dozen other youngsters. He watches with wide eyes as the park naturalist pulls a black rat snake out.

As he leans forward and listens intently, his mother, Jasmine, sits in a classroom down the hall. But while Jordan is learning about the habitats and habits of snakes, Jasmine is learning about programs Prince George's County can offer her and her son, such as tutoring, day care and education supplements.

Welcome to the county's first-ever Family Academy.

Sponsored by Side by Side Inc. -- an organization spun off the Laurel Clergy Association -- the Family Academy aims at providing families with community-building sessions in which parents can learn more about parenting skills and family dynamics to help raise and teach their children at home.

Side by Side hopes if they help provide a sturdy family and home life, students will begin to see more success in school.

"In my time with the Laurel Leader, schools were always a central community issue," said Joe Murchison, president of Side by Side and the Leader's editor from 1990 to 2007. "They were good schools lacking a good image. We felt that Jesus called us together to help our schools work to be the best they can be."

School board member Rosalind Johnson, who represents Laurel, said the Family Academy began to come to fruition about 10 months ago when Murchison and his colleagues approached her about how the group could help the school system.

"He wanted to know what sort of support they could give us, so I told them of the concept of family academies," she said. "Since then, Side by Side has worked tirelessly to get this off the ground."

As parents arrived at the first Family Academy Sept. 24, they were directed to the all-purpose room for a pizza and salad dinner.

Following dinner and some introductory remarks by Side by Side and school officials, parents were ushered to classrooms to learn more about resources available to them.

At the same time, children were split up into a preschool age group and older students for learning activities of their own.

Murchison said subsequent Family Academy events will focus less on resources and more on family dynamics and how parents can deal with difficult child behaviors.

"We know what works, so now we really need to get to work," he said.

Murchison said the first academy cost about $1,500, most of which was raised from individual companies and church contributions. Side by Side, he added, is also seeking federal grant money for future sessions.

He also said the school system's partnership was key to getting the program off the ground.

"The school system has been great all along," he said. "Rosalind helped us form the idea, (Deerfield principal) Tom Tucker opened his doors to us. They've been tremendous."

Parents at the academy were mostly curious about the first night of the program, but also favored the concept.

Curtis Johnson Sr., whose son Curtis attends Deerfield Run, said he wasn't sure what to expect, but went because he thought it would be good for networking.

"It sounded like an idea and a chance to meet other parents, you know," he said. "But hey, I'd like to look at as many resources as you can give me to help my child grow."

Jasmine McCombs said she also liked the idea, but wished that it would occur more often than monthly.

"I think it's a shame that there has to be a program run by a separate organization than the school system," she said. "But, I'm all for it. PG County could use something big to show schools are getting back to where they used to be."

Cassandra Young was also pleased and said the Family Academy is exactly what she needed after recently moving to the area.

"This is the first year here for my girls, and I need all the help I can get to learn about the area," she said. "There seems to be a lot of helpful information for me to use."

Young said, in particular, she was looking for information about tutoring and speech therapy for her daughter and had already found it before dinner even began.

While McCombs wasn't sure, Johnson and Young both said they would return for the next Family Academy on Oct. 15.

That's welcome news to county schools Deputy Superintendent Bonita Coleman-Porter.

"We look forward to seeing this academy succeed," she said. "And we hope to replicate this kind of community embrace across the county as this program spreads."

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