Past Events
Everyone Wins! The Ripple Effects of Family Engagement
Date: December 9, 2022
Speaker
Anne T. Henderson, Senior Consultant, National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement
Venue
Playmaker Space at Family and Children’s Aid, 80 West Street, Danbury
Description
The latest research shows that engaging families has powerful benefits beyond boosting student success. BUT (there is always a but) the engagement strategies need to be high-impact, transformative, and equity-driven to make a real difference. Join us to discuss what these terms mean and what they look like in practice.
Find recordings of all Friday CAFE sessions here
School-Community Partnerships: Schools Can’t Do It Alone!
Date: November 4, 2022
Speaker
Shynea Paris, District Liaison to the Homeless, Waterbury Public Schools, and Community Partners
Venue
Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury
Description
More than ever, schools recognize the importance of community partnerships to support students and families, particularly those experiencing homelessness. Effective partnerships create a network of support and address barriers to learning while also generating learning opportunities that strengthen students, families, and the wider community. Everyone wins!
Join us to learn from Waterbury Public Schools and partners about their strategies for building mutually beneficial collaborations and working toward shared goals. We will explore key indicators for assessing your own school-community partnerships.
Find recordings of all Friday CAFE sessions here.
The Expertise Is In The Room
Date: October 7, 2022
Speaker
Malik Champlain, Consultant, SERC
Venue
Hooker Live, 1 Sesquassen Street, Hartford
Description
On October 7, Friday CAFE will be in-person for the first time in over two years! Please join us. This session will be all about YOU! Through facilitated dialogue, participants will share stories and insights, and explore innovative ideas to expand thinking about family engagement practice. Your collective voice is the engine of generosity and the expertise in the room.
Find recordings of all Friday CAFE sessions here.
The Forgotten Partner? The Role of Students in School-Family-Community Partnerships
Date: December 10, 2021
Speaker
Ann Pratt, Director of Organizing, CT Citizen Action Group
Venue
Virtual
Description
School-family-community partnerships are about ensuring that every student thrives. But what is the role of students within this process? How can school-family-community partnerships discover and strengthen the student voice within this essential work? We will explore these concepts – and more – through the lens of community organizing, power, and a commitment to leadership development for the students we serve.
Connecting with English-Learner Families Persistence Pays Off
Date: November 12, 2021
Speaker
Kimberly Bobin, Family & Early Childhood Coordinator, Town of Wethersfield; Jessica Garcia, Senior Literacy Coach, Words Count, Hartford Family Center Collaborative, The Village for Families and Children
Venue
Virtual
Description
Families of English learners are diverse, coming from a variety of native languages, cultures, and educational backgrounds, posing unique opportunities and challenges for schools. Like many towns, Wethersfield struggles to engage EL families of young children. Through persistence and collaboration, Wethersfield is building a successful approach to including EL families in their students’ success.
Time to Start Planning for Transition to Kindergarten
Date: January 29, 2021
Speaker
Andrea Brinnel, CT State Department of Education Abby Alter, Child Health and Development Institute Amanda Heath, 211 Child Development, United Way of Connecticut Julia Levy, Sparkler
Venue
Description
How Can We Help Every Child Get A Strong Start?
Going into kindergarten is an important and exciting milestone that young children and families will face in September. Along with the excitement, there are often questions about starting school and being ready. COVID presents even more questions for families. It is the partnerships among families, schools, and the community that create the bridges for a smooth transition. It is not too early to start talking with families and building those relationships.
Please join the Friday CAFÉ community to discuss strategies for partnering with families during the transition to kindergarten and get your questions answered. You’ll also learn about new, FREE resources in CT to help families support young children’s development at home.
Friday CAFÉ - Partnering at a Distance: Virtual Family-School Relationships in a Remote Learning Environment
Date: December 11, 2020
Speaker
Elizabeth Chu, Michael Arrington, and Maddy Sims, Center for Public Research and Leadership
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Friday CAFÉ After Hours - Linking to Learning: Family Engagement for Student Success
Date: November 19, 2020
Speaker
Anne Henderson, National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement & Joelle Murchison, ExecMommyGroup, LLC
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Friday CAFÉ - Partnering with Families for Social-Emotional Learning
Date: November 6, 2020
Speaker
Dr. Judith A. Palmer, Superintendent, Regional School District No. 7 Fran Amara, Principal, Northwestern Middle School, Regional School District No. 7
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Friday CAFÉ After Hours - It All Starts with Two-Way Conversations
Date: October 22, 2020
Speaker
Joelle A. Murchison, Principal & Founder, ExecMommyGroup
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Friday CAFÉ - Partnering in a Pandemic: What Works?
Date: October 9, 2020
Speaker
Dave Bechtel, Dena Booker, Anne Mead, Mike Meyer
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Friday CAFÉ After Hours - Building Trust and Respect between Home and School
Date: September 17, 2020
Speaker
Joelle Murchison, Principal & Founder, ExecMommyGroup
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Family Engagement During COVID-19 - Session 4
Date: June 19, 2020
Speaker
Judy Carson, Betsy LeBorious, Dr. Regina Hopkins, Latasha Turnquest, Erin Ortega and Ashley Okwuazi
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Description
Elevating Youth Voice for Equity & Family Engagement
Online Series for Finding Solutions Together
We heard you! In response to requests from the field, Friday CAFÉ is going virtual and meeting more frequently to support professionals and families in schools who are facing unprecedented challenges.
These sessions will feature the voices of practitioners and families in CT schools who are grappling with remote learning. We will share promising practices for what works and tips for what to avoid.
Family Engagement During COVID-19 - Session 3
Date: May 29, 2020
Speaker
Judy Carson, Betsy LeBorious, Melvette Hill, Christine Servellon, Rey Ali and Yukiyo Iida
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Description
Parents’ Perspective on Distance Learning
Online Series for Finding Solutions Together
We heard you! In response to requests from the field, Friday CAFÉ is going virtual and meeting more frequently to support professionals and families in schools who are facing unprecedented challenges.
These sessions will feature the voices of practitioners and families in CT schools who are grappling with remote learning. We will share promising practices for what works and tips for what to avoid.
Family Engagement During COVID-19 - Session 2
Date: May 8, 2020
Speaker
Judy Carson, Betsy LeBorious, Erica Forti and Julie Church
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Description
Listening to Families
Online Series for Finding Solutions Together
We heard you! In response to requests from the field, Friday CAFÉ is going virtual and meeting more frequently to support professionals and families in schools who are facing unprecedented challenges.
These sessions will feature the voices of practitioners and families in CT schools who are grappling with remote learning. We will share promising practices for what works and tips for what to avoid.
Family Engagement During COVID-19 - Session 1
Date: April 24, 2020
Speaker
Judy Carson & Betsy LeBorious
Venue
Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Description
Listening to Families & Meeting Them Where They Are
Online Series for Finding Solutions Together
We heard you! In response to requests from the field, Friday CAFÉ is going virtual and meeting more frequently to support professionals and families in schools who are facing unprecedented challenges.
These sessions will feature the voices of practitioners and families in CT schools who are grappling with remote learning. We will share promising practices for what works and tips for what to avoid.
Building Confidence through Collaboration
Date: March 6, 2020
Speaker
Lauri DiGalbo, Educator and Disability Consultant
Venue
Wadsworth Mansion, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown
Description
Engaging Families from Diverse Cultures
Engagement is about creating comfort regardless of our cultural background. Yet so often we find ourselves feeling uncomfortable entering into conversations with parents who come from life experiences different from our own. This Friday CAFE will give us the opportunity to explore how we can identify and overcome our hesitancies and best practice strategies for crafting comfortable, collaborative conversations with all families.
Mindfulness in Schools: Improve Climate, Promote Learning and Reduce Stress
Date: January 31, 2020
Speaker
Mehgan LeBorious, Teacher and Director of Mindfulness, Cobble Hill High School of American Studies, Brooklyn NY
Venue
New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain
Description
Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment, with an attitude of kindness and curiosity. It is a quality of mind we all possess, and that can also be built up through strategic practices like meditation. In the last few years, mindfulness in schools has gone from being a fringe movement to a pedagogical best practice, in part because of promising research about the educational and emotional benefits of mindfulness for students of all ages.
Partnering with Families for Social-Emotional Learning
Date: December 13, 2019
Speaker
Sherie Chapman, Katherine Thompson, Donna Marino and Elizabeth Waszkiewicz, Middletown Public Schools
Venue
The Carousel Building at Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport
Description
Helping Children Grow Socially, Emotionally and Behaviorally
Let’s talk SEL! Parents are hearing about social-emotional learning (SEL) but often wonder what it is. Middletown Public Schools launched a community-wide project to make children’s emotional health a priority and family engagement is at the center. Join us to learn about Middletown’s unique community coalition and innovative approaches for engaging families in SEL.
The Creativity Connection for 21st Century Skills
Date: November 1, 2019
Speaker
Nancy Meyer, Crayola Innovative Teaching and Learning Manager
Venue
Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street, Middletown
Description
Why Creativity is Critical to Student Success and Family Engagement
Creativity isn’t just important – creativity is an essential 21st Century skill. Join us to discuss the role creativity plays in learning and development, and explore hands-on activities you can share with families.
Ways to Share Student Performance Data with Parents
Date: October 4, 2019
Speaker
Stephanie O'Day and Michelle Rosado, Performance Office, CSDE
Venue
Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St, Hartford
Parent Voice Roundtable
Date: May 10, 2019
Speaker
Panelists - Janine McMahon, Jennifer Lussier, Kyle Parrish, Sharnasia Booker, Stephan Palmer, and Susan Sarmiento
Venue
Keeney Memorial Culture Center, 200 Main St, Wethersfield
Description
Parents’ Perspective on Full, Equal, and Equitable Partnerships.
Building Support for Family Engagement
Date: April 5, 2019
Speaker
Eyal Bergman, Former Family & Community Engagement Officer in El Cajon, CA and Co-Founder of San Diego’s Friday CAFÉ
Venue
Pond House, Elizabeth Park, 1555 Asylum Ave, West Hartford
Description
How To Get Buy-In from Principals, Teachers, Parents and Community Members
The Neighbors’ Network: A Community-Led Ecosystem Linking Families, Students and Educators through STEM
Date: March 8, 2019
Speaker
Andrés Henríquez, VP of STEM Learning in Communities & Marcia Bueno, Director of NYSCI Neighbors, New York Hall of Science
Venue
Family and Children’s Aid, 80 West Street, Danbury
Description
The Neighbors’ Network co-creates deep, long-term relationships with first generation immigrant parents and neighborhood schools to leverage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as an opportunity pathway for children. Join us for interactive discussion and exploration in the very special “Life is Good Playmaker Village.”
Essential to Engaging Families: Creating Cognitive and Emotional Safe Space
Date: February 1, 2019
Speaker
Lauri DiGalbo, Educator and Disability Consultant
Venue
Wadsworth Mansion, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown
Description
How can we create an environment that encourages families to connect to programs for partnering in their children’s education – and avoid creating conditions that make families uncomfortable?
This interactive conversation will give participants scenarios in which to understand the concepts of our own cognitive comfort as well as how our past experiences dictate our emotional comfort.
Using these personal insights, we will discuss some quick and easy strategies to avoid creating cognitive and emotional discomfort so that our families will take advantage of the opportunities our programs offer them.
Moving from Equity towards Liberation: Culturally-Responsive Family Engagement
Date: December 7, 2018
Speaker
Chemay Morales-James, Founder of My Reflection Matters
Venue
Mattatuck Museum, 63 Prospect St, Waterbury
Description
Join us for an exploration of culturally-responsive practice through the lens of family engagement. We will discuss building partnerships based on trust and respect, and authentically honoring families’ cultural attributes, traditions, and histories.
Full, Equal and Equitable Partnerships with Families: Digging Into CT's New Definition & Framework for Family Engagement
Date: November 2, 2018
Speaker
Facilitated Dialog
Venue
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Description
What is family engagement? Although the concept of “family engagement” is gaining recognition, parents, educators, public officials, and community leaders mean many different things when they use this term.
Join us at Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History to dig into Connecticut’s new definition and framework for family engagement. We will discuss the guiding principles for effective practice and explore what high-impact family engagement looks like in early childhood education, elementary schools, middle and high schools, and after school programs.
Connecting with Newly Arrived and Immigrant Families
Date: October 12, 2018
Speaker
Joel Cruz, M.Th., Director of the Institute for the Hispanic Family; Kimberly Bobin, Family & Early Childhood Coordinator, Wethersfield Public Schools; Meghann E. LaFountain, Esq., LaFountain Immigration Law, LLC
Venue
New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St
Description
Recent immigration enforcement policies and natural disasters have impacted children and families, and have also had consequences for their teachers, principals, counselors and fellow classmates. In this session, we will discuss strategies schools and communities are using to welcome newly arrived and immigrant families. We will also have the benefit of legal expertise to help us understand families’ and schools’ rights and responsibilities.
Powerful Partnerships Online Summer Book Group
Date: July 9, 2018
Speaker
Ilene Carver, Author
Venue
Online
Description
We read “Powerful Partnerships: A Teachers Guide to Engaging Families for Student Success” by Karen L. Mapp, Ilene Carver, and Jessica Lander, published by Scholastic. This book is written with practitioners in mind. It features practical strategies as well as thought-provoking stories from the field revealing what cultural competence means for family engagement. See a review of the book here.
Webinar Series: High-Impact Family Engagement for Promoting Equity and Student Success
Date: March 23, 2018
Speaker
Various
Venue
Webinars – Archived
Description
This webinar series highlights evidence-based practices to promote equity in family engagement. Engaging all families as full and equal partners in their children’s education – from birth through college and career – can help to transform our education system and remedy achievement gaps. Each webinar features downloadable tools and resources.
Archived Webinars and Materials Below
Session 1 – Creating “Partnership” Schools for Student Success
This session focuses on the core beliefs and research that are the foundation for high-impact family engagement programs with guest Anne T. Henderson, Senior Consultant, National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement.
Is Your School Open to Partnerships? (Tool for Schools)
Session 2 – Creating a School Culture that Invites Family Engagement
Research shows that a welcoming environment is one of the strongest indicators of family engagement. This session discusses discuss how to create the conditions that promote a welcoming school for families and the community with Betsy LeBorious, Manager for Youth and Family Services, and Gerald Barrett, Program Manager, Capitol Region Education Council (CREC).
Is Your School Open to Partnerships? (Tool for Schools)
Session 3 – Family-Friendly First Impressions: Front Office, Safety, and Support Staff as Partners in Family Engagement
Parents’ first impressions of a school often take place before they ever meet the principal or a teacher. This session highlights how one district reimagined the roles of staff who are parents’ first contact with the school as “directors of first impressions” in the front office, the “safety advocates” in the parking lot, and more. Guests: Anne Mead, Director, School-Family-Community Partnerships and Estela Camacho, Director, Morris Street Family Resource Center, Danbury Public Schools.
Session 4: Linking to Learning: Bringing Families into the Learning Process and Launch of Summer Book Club
Parents want to know what their children are learning and how they can help. Too often, family engagement activities don’t tap into parents’ knowledge or build their confidence to support learning. This session explores how schools can design meaningful activities and repurpose traditional events throughout the year to help families actively support their student’s learning. Guest: Jessie Lavorgna Family and Community Engagement Specialist for the Literacy and Academic Success for English Learners through Science (LASErS) Project at Hartford Public Schools, Education Development Center.
Review and Improve Existing Family Engagement Activities (Tool for Schools)
How Closely Is Your School’s Family Engagement Program Linked to Student Learning (Tool for Schools)
Thinking on Your Feet: Tips and Tricks from Comedy Improv
Date: May 11, 2018
Speaker
MJ Moriarty, Professor of Communications, CCSU
Venue
Bushnell Theater, Autorino Great Hall, Hartford
Description
Working in family engagement means thinking fast and being creative. In this session, we’ll use tools from comedy improv to keep the conversation going, build connections with families and have fun too!
Family Engagement Specialists: Who are they and what do they do?
Date: April 6, 2018
Speaker
Bill Stover, Director of Family and Community Partnerships, and Parent Liaisons from Windham Public Schools
Venue
Eastern Connecticut State University, J. Eugene Smith Library
Description
In this session, we’ll discuss the conditions that are needed to build the capacity of family engagement staff to work with families for student success.
Building Community in Challenging Times: The Power of Music to Transcend Language and Culture
Date: March 9, 2018
Speaker
Eric Galm, Associate Professor of Music and Ethnomusicology Trinity College
Venue
Mather Hall, Trinity College
Description
Music connects us – often in a way that words alone cannot. Join us for a hands-on, community-building, music-making morning. Come ready to play!
"Parent Voice" Roundtable
Date: February 2, 2018
Speaker
Doug Edwards, Director, Real Dads Forever and Parent Leaders
Venue
Energize CT Center, 122 Universal Drive North, North Haven
Description
Parent leaders discuss why parent voice is important for student success and what schools do to help or hinder.
What Can Community Organizing Teach Us about Engaging Families?
Date: December 8, 2017
Speaker
Ann Pratt, Executive Director, CT Citizen Action Group
Venue
Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main Street, Waterbury
Description
Reframing "Hard to Reach" - Lessons Learned from Meeting Parents Where They Are
Date: November 3, 2017
Speaker
Guests: Patti Keckeisen and Donna Thompson-Bennett, Co-Directors of the National Parent Leadership Institute
Venue
Beardsley Zoo, Carousel Room, 1875 Noble Ave, Bridgeport
Description
Strategies for moving from a deficit model of “hard to reach” parents to a model that values families’ assets and builds trust
Friday CAFE Camp!
Date: May 12, 2017
Speaker
Friday CAFE Camp is an “un-conference” where participants take the lead.
Venue
Chrysalis Center, 255 Homestead Avenue, Hartford
Description
Families, Educators and Community Members Together for Student Success
No presenters – instead families, educators and community members come together to focus on strengthening family engagement and effective partnerships for student success.
Family Engagement in Addressing Childhood Trauma
Date: April 7, 2017
Speaker
A short film and facilitated discussion
Venue
Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor Street, Hartford
Description
Featuring the documentary Wounded Places: Confronting Childhood PTSD in America’s Shell-Shocked Cities (part of the Raising of America documentary series)
"Parent Voice" Roundtable
Date: February 3, 2017
Speaker
Parent Leaders
Venue
Energize CT Center, 122 Universal Drive North, North Haven
Description
Why is parent voice important for student success? What do schools do to help or hinder?
Connecting Families & Schools through the Power of Story
Date: December 9, 2016
Speaker
Erik Clemons, CEO and President, Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology
Venue
New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain
Description
Our stories help us connect across boundaries of race, class and culture. When we share our stories we begin to build a foundation of trust and respect – essential ingredients for productive relationships. Join us to explore how the power of story can strengthen your family-school partnerships.
Building Bridges Together: Culturally Responsive Family Engagement
Date: November 4, 2016
Speaker
Jessie Lavorgna, School, Family & Community Partnership Specialist, EDC
Venue
Sterling House, 2283 Main Street, Stratford
Description
We each bring unique life experience to our work in family engagement. This session will highlight the power of discovering and examining personal social and cultural identities in order to develop cultural knowledge and awareness about others.
Exploring Equity through Family Engagement
Date: October 14, 2016
Speaker
Ingrid Canady, Executive Director, State Education Resource Center
Venue
Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, 175 East Main Street, Meriden
Description
Parents, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, want the best for their children when it comes to education. Join us for an exploration of educational equity through the lens of family engagement and a discussion about how partnerships with families can promote an excellent education for all students.
ParentCamp 2016
Date: May 6, 2016
Speaker
An "Un-Conference" for Families and Educators
Venue
Pond House Cafe, Elizabeth Park, 1555 Asylum Ave, West Hartford
Circle of Security - How We Can Help Parents Support Children's Emotional and Behavioral Learning
Date: April 1, 2016
Speaker
Amy Waterman, Program Coordinator, Middletown Family Resource Centers
Venue
Artspace New Haven
Beyond "Donuts for Dads" - Really Connecting with Fathers and Family Men
Date: March 4, 2016
Speaker
Doug Edwards, Director, Real Dads Forever
Venue
Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport
Mindfulness In Schools
Date: January 29, 2016
Speaker
Maritza Soto-Gomez, Breakthrough Magnet School, Hartford, Monique Butler, O'Brien STEM Academy, East Hartford; Marie Menut, Vibrational Healing Center, East Hartford
Venue
Noah Webster House, West Hartford
Meeting Parents Where They Are: Bridging Cultural Barriers between Home and School
Date: December 4, 2015
Speaker
Marlene Ho-Yen, Extended Learning Program, Danbury Public Schools
Venue
Tarrywile Mansion, Danbury
Description
Marlene Ho Yen has a wealth of experience engaging families from diverse backgrounds and cultures. She shared practical tips as well as uncommon insights. The discussion highlighted the nuanced ways school culture and practices can either welcome or distance families, often unintentionally.
Collaborative Conversations: Creating Space for Real Relationships
Date: November 6, 2015
Speaker
Carrie Rose & Yesenia Gonzalez, The Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project, Sacramento, CA
Venue
New Britain Museum of American Art
Description
The Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project is a nationally-recognized model for building home-school relationships that result in increased student achievement. At the heart of the model are two-way collaborative conversations. This session focused on the essential elements of collaborative conversations and why these conversations work!
A-Ha Moments!
- Families don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
- Shared power makes real sustainable change.
- One person alone cannot be responsible for family engagement.
- Focus on building the relationship, not on “fixing” the family.
- Share your vision of success for their child – hopes and dreams are a uniting force.
Your Best Family Engagement Year EVER!
Date: October 2, 2015
Speaker
Julia Horne, Award Winning Former Principal, Shelter Rock School, Danbury
Venue
Oddfellows Playhouse, Middletown
Description
Julia Horne shared insights about creating programs that attract parents, developing relationships based on respect, building on family strengths – and, most importantly, having FUN! By developing relationships with families, Shelter Rock School has 100% attendance at parent-teacher conferences. Ms. Horne gave inspiring examples of student success that was a direct result of engaging families.
A-Ha Moments!
- Just ASK! Personally ask parents to participate, host an event, contribute in some way.
- Leadership sets the tone. If the principal believes it, others will follow suit.
- Extend an ear and a hug and allow the relationship with families to build organically.
- The college conversation starts in kindergarten and first grade.
The Power of Positive Example - Shaping History and Public Policy
Date: May 9, 2015
Speaker
Anne T. Henderson, National Expert and Author on Family Engagement, Senior Consultant, Annenberg Institute for School Reform
Venue
Mark Twain House, Hartford
Description
Anne Henderson is one of the leading national voices and advocates for family engagement. She reflected on the growth of the field and changes in policy since she first began tracking the research over 30 years ago. How much progress have we really made? Why do we keep circling around some of the same issues of sharing power and truly collaborative conversations? Anne cited numerous noteworthy examples of innovative partnership programs that are helping children succeed. She is optimistic about the future of family engagement and encouraged about the new National Association for Family, School, Community Engagement.
A-Ha Moments!
- “Travel is fatal to prejudice” (Mark Twain). When we move out of our comfort zones to meet families where they are, we make room for empathy and respect.
- This field is moving in the right direction – we’ve gone from “parent participation” to “parent involvement” to “family engagement.”
- Family engagement must be part of the institutional structure and parents must be at policy tables.
- Focus on high impact strategies. Drop traditional activities that don’t make a difference. And figure out which is which.
- Parent engagement is everything a parent does to support education.
"Parent Voice" Roundtable
Date: April 4, 2015
Speaker
Parent Leaders from Greater Waterbury
Venue
TIMEXPO, The Timex Museum, Waterbury
Description
Parent leaders from Greater Waterbury led a dynamic discussion about school-family partnerships from the parent point of view. The group considered questions like, “Why is parent voice important for student success?” and “What do schools do to help or hinder?”
A-Ha Moments!
- Parents are powerful. Welcome them as partners and make them comfortable.
- Having parents share their stories is powerful and helps schools make change.
- Take the time to reach out to individual parents.
- Front-line staff are crucial to welcoming families
What is Social Capital and How Do You Build It?
Date: March 10, 2015
Speaker
Dr. Michelle Femc-Bagwell, Director, CommPACT Community Schools Collaborative, Neag School of Education, UCONN
Venue
UCONN Alumni Center, Storrs
Description
This session focused on building social capital – increasing informal links among parents and between families and teachers. These informal relationships add up to deposits in the partnership “bank” that help us work together to get things done.
Michelle Femc-Bagwell highlighted the ASPIRE survey for tapping parent and community talents. The ASPIRE Survey is an online tool that makes building connections easy and really FUN! Learn more about the ASPIRE Survey at https://theaspiresurvey.com.
A-Ha Moments!
- You never know what assets parents have to offer if you don’t ask.
- We need to make people feel like their experiences have and are of value.
- You can collect lots of data on human capital – unless you use it, it does not become social and/or professional capital.
- We are a collective database.
From Frustration to Action: Empowering Ourselves and Others for Productive Partnerships
Date: February 7, 2015
Speaker
Donna Thompson-Bennett, Curriculum Manager, National Parent Leadership Institute
Venue
Discovery Museum, Bridgeport
Description
Building bridges between families and schools can be frustrating work at times. Donna Thompson-Bennett, long-time parent educator and community leader, offered a lively session answering the question, “How can you do something, when you feel like you can’t do anything?”
Are They Glad to See You? Being a Welcomed Visitor in Families’ Homes
Date: January 17, 2015
Speaker
Robinson Camacho, Windham High School Family Liaison
Venue
The New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain
Description
Robinson Camacho changed careers to become a home visitor. His humorous talk featured the many lessons he has learned from his successes, as well as mistakes, in visiting families of truant high school students.
Creating the Open-Door School
Date: December 13, 2014
Speaker
Janet Brown-Clayton, Principal of Lincoln-Bassett School, New Haven
Venue
The Connecticut Science Center, Hartford
Description
Principal Janet Clayton-Brown gave an impassioned talk about what it means to have an open-door school. First and foremost are relationships. She offers a view from the principal’s office where “open door” is a culture, not a policy.
A-Ha Moments!
- Value truth over artificial harmony
- They don’t care what you know ‘till they know that you care
- Don’t assume that absence denotes lack of concern
Student Voice in School-Family Partnerships
Date: November 8, 2014
Speaker
Justin Carbonella, Youth Services Director, Middletown
Venue
Green Street Arts Center, Middletown
Description
Students play an important, but often overlooked, role in school-family partnerships. After all, they are the most consistent messengers between home and school. Justin Carbonella, the Director of Youth Services in Middletown, presented a multi-media experience that brought students’ voices into the room and launched a lively and productive discussion.
A-Ha Moments!
- “Invest in my success now or pay for my mistakes later.” (quote from students)
- Not “to” – not “for” – but “with.” Works with whatever group you seek to engage.
- Students should be included IN the conversations about them.
Trust
Date: September 13, 2014
Speaker
Sonja Ahuja, Educator and Facilitator for Public Dialogues in the Arts, Education and Community Development
Venue
The Grove Co-Working Space, New Haven
Description
A larger-than-expected group turned out for the launch of Friday CAFÉ in September. Sonja Ahuja’s talk on trust was the perfect topic for our inaugural event. We learned about some of the research and discussed how important trust is to partnering with families. Many participants came away with the powerful insight that trust is a decision we make and deciding to trust (or not) can build (or erode) the foundation of a relationship.
A-Ha Moments!
- Trust is a decision, not a trait
- I am not alone
- Without trust we don’t have relationships and we can’t do this work without relationship
Family Engagement IS Equity Work! How Family Partnerships Promote Equity in Education
Date: January 21, 2022
Speaker
Roszena Haskins and Scott Ratchford, West Hartford Public Schools Office of Equity Advancement and Community Partners
Venue
Virtual
Description
Join us in a dialogue about how our work to engage and partner with families ultimately serves a larger vision and goal we have of maximizing the opportunities and outcomes for ALL children. Family Engagement is truly equity work in the end. Join us to talk with representatives from the West Hartford Public Schools who will discuss how they have sought to answer larger questions in our work:
-How is family partnership an issue of equity in our schools?
-How can family partnership be embedded into a district’s mission and vision for equity?
-How can family partnership serve as a lever for equity?
Equity and Language Access: Everyone's fundamental right to have their voices heard
Date: March 4, 2022
Speaker
Jane Hampton-Smith, Co-Executive Director, CT Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC), with a panel of families and practitioners
Venue
Virtual
Description
All families, regardless of the language they speak, deserve to meaningfully participate in their children’s education. Promoting language access includes translation and interpretation. Language access also means removing systemic barriers that prevent families from sharing their authentic perspectives, wisdom and lived experiences.
Join us to discuss strategies and challenges associated with providing equitable language access for all families. Practitioners and families will share their experiences, practical tools, and resources that schools can use to build their capacity to uplift all family voices.
