Good Morning Readers,

At least in the ever-changing Denver communities, schools are sadly being looked at as contributors to the community and not the center of it. This is where I believe community engagement suffers. The identity of the schools is not engrained in the day-to-day. A school should offer programs, opportunities, experiences not just for students, but for the entire community. Parents will be more inclined to get involved if they can get something out of it. Below I will list 5 ideas / solutions to bridging the gap between communities and schools.

1. Professional Development seminars – Monthly meetings helping families with job interview skills, resume building, public speaking, etc. Have teachers assist with family success.
2. Letting facilities be used by the community – Local sports leagues, after school programs, etc. Have the school be seen as a haven for the community.
3. Community Quarterly – 4 times a year, local vendors / businesses come represent themselves at school while we celebrate the academic success of the students. If a business has a new item or is new in the community (or a business with roots in the community), have them come show it off or market themselves on this day.
4. Outside programs – For example, every Thursday our school hands out free fruit / vegetables from local farms to underserved families in the community. Being an outlet of hope goes a long way and the more we create, the more families will be engaged with the school.
5. Uniforming communication – Consistent and easy to find communication from the school to families. Having parents sign up in the beginning of the year when they register their students is the ideal way to streamline this. Group chats, email chains, social medias are all under this umbrella.

My goal as a school leader one day is to uniform these ideas into school culture. Overtime, I hope to see change and positivity in whichever community I represent.