Hosting in-person events at school can help families feel welcome. As we shared in our blog post, “How Increasing Family Engagement has Impacted Our Partnering Schools,” we know it works! However, showing up can be hard for families when they have so many competing commitments. Nothing is worse than planning a huge, fun event and then seeing only a smattering of people attend. It can feel defeating.
Cate Reed, seasoned administrator, current Senior Vice President of Teach For America, and Possip Reporter, explores ways to engage families beyond in-school gatherings.
We all know that life happens. Many families have kids in multiple schools. Families work hours that conflict with when events are often held. It can be hard to find childcare or transportation in off-hours. Even parents have difficulty attending parent-teacher conferences when they conflict with extracurriculars or work obligations. All of these things can lead to schools feeling frustrated when it comes to offering ways to bring families together.
However, it doesn’t need to be that way! Here are a few creative ways to get families involved without having to set up a table in the lobby and provide name tags and punch:
Learn what events interest your families
Use a Possip bonus question to get a sense of what families find most valuable when it comes to getting involved. Conferences? Social events? Homework help? Fundraisers? Where do they want to spend time with other families and staff, and where do they gather that maybe isn’t in school? At a local park? Library? Community center?
Strive to meet the needs of families and not just drive up numbers. The more you know about what people really want and need, the more you can tailor your ideas to them and ensure you are not wasting your time. For more ideas about finding out what works and what doesn’t work for your families, check out this Possip article: “Better Questions to Increase Family Turnout.”
Technology is your friend
Build on the familiarity everyone has now of online tools to gather and create a sense of community. Things that we never imagined could be done in a way other than in person can now be done from pretty much anywhere. Consider these ideas:
- Conduct parent-teacher conferences over Zoom. Have families sign up for either in-person or Zoom on a schedule. This allows working families to have a 1:1 meeting without having to take time off work or travel to school.
- Host a class over Zoom for families. Send a recipe home and have people meet on Zoom to cook together one evening. Host an origami session online. Have a movie night when kids can all log on to watch a movie from home in their pajamas on a late Friday afternoon.
- Host homework office hours for families. Organize time in the evening or on the weekend to tackle a few math problems together, and families can see how they can support their students.
- Have families sign up to be a “Mystery Reader” over Zoom. Teachers can surprise students by having one of their family members “pop onto the screen” to read a great book to the class.
For more ideas on how to make online activities enjoyable, check out this Possip blog, “Virtual Joy-Factor: Fun Zoom Games and Activities.”
Let other people do the planning for you
Communities have so many events, and there is nothing stopping you from tagging along.
- Local libraries: If the library has a story hour on Saturday mornings, send home a note with your youngest students and invite them to attend. Then host a coffee hour at the nearby coffee shop afterward with an administrator to talk about how school is going.
- Friday night lights! Have staff host a table at the local football game to pass out school swag and ask questions about how the year is going.
- Open your doors: Invite local organizations to host their events in your school. They often need space for low or no cost. This can be a win-win as you invitepeople into your building to see the great work you are doing.
- Encourage small groups: Invite families to host a get-together at their home or a playground/venue to bring families together. You can invite teachers to come to create a low-stakes way for people to engage.
Remember that small events are better than none
The goal doesn’t need to be seeing 100% of families at every event. Don’t be afraid to start where you are. We highlighted the advantages of starting small in our blog post, “Leaning Into Small Parent Turnout: Starting Where You Are with Parent Engagement.” Help families see and feel that they are part of a community who shares their everyday needs and interests. Keep logs of all the events to track what is most popular and how many people you ultimately engage. Offer different types of events and ways to attend. Remember that every family has an entry point, you just need to find it.
