(AP) — Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and first lady Sally Ganem are promoting a movement to get parents more involved in their children’s education, with the Republican governor proclaiming August as “Parental Involvement in Education Month” in Nebraska.

Ganem, a former elementary school principal, joined Heineman for a news conference Wednesday in Lincoln to encourage parents to do such things as read to their children, set high academic expectations for them and meet with teachers.

They also highlighted the work of the Nebraska Community Learning Center Network, a statewide public-private partnership that promotes school-community collaborations.

The network will present activities at this month’s Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island focused on the application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly referred to as STEM courses.