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Set up training and informational sessions with key personnelin school and community partner organizations.A teacher, parent liaison/family coordinator, or school receptionist is usuallya parent’s first point of contact with a school’s family engagement efforts.This first contact leaves a lasting impression, so training all those who areinvolved with families is time and money well spent – this is also true forcommunity organization staff. The relationships and rapport that staff establishwith families are key to opening lines of communication and encouragingparticipation. Consider the following activities 1 to support staff efforts:Train all staff. Include those who are directly involved in implementingfamily engagement strategies as well as others who come in contact withfamilies. A parent liaison may be committed to welcoming parents into afamily resource center, however, other staff may not be as aware of theroles they play in helping families feel comfortable and valued. Make surethat all staff, including receptionists and security guards, understand theinitiative’s goals and the school or organization’s commitment to them.This will ensure that the entire staff is consistent in creating a welcomingenvironment for families.In addition to gaining a clear understanding of their own roles, school andcommunity partner staff should become familiar with the roles of people inkey positions – such as parent liaisons – in the family engagement initiative.They should be knowledgeable about the services offered by parentliaisons as well as family resource centers so that they can direct families toappropriate supports.In a family engagement initiative at the high school level, the content oftrainings – especially for school and community organization staff and volunteerswho are responsible for directly engaging families in student learning,as well as newly-hired parent liaisons and teachers – should also includeinformation about:■■■■■■■■■■School requirements for high school graduation.Access and use of online student data systems (where applicable).Available school and community resources to support students’ learningand development (e.g., homework help, mentoring and afterschoolprograms, community service, internships).Available community resources that can support students’ and families’well-being (e.g., family counseling, financial assistance, health).Using the knowledge gained in these trainings, staff and communityvolunteers will be better able to share relevant information with families.As part of the family engagement initiativespearheaded by United Way of Northern Nevadaand the Sierra in Reno, NV, the school has made aneffort to involve the initiative’s Parent InvolvementFacilitators (PIFs) in its general staff trainings sothat the PIFs are familiar with curriculum standardsand other teaching and learning issues that affectstudents. This has led PIFs to be included as valuedmembers of the school staff, attending ProfessionalLearning Community meetings and planningmeetings with the ninth grade Dean of Studentswhen appropriate, as well as collaborating withteachers and other critical school staff members.In Las Vegas, NV, one of the schools partnering withUnited Way of Southern Nevada realized it had nobilingual administrators, even though many of itsstudents’ families had limited English skills. To addressthis problem, the school hired three bilingualadministrators who represented the languagesmost commonly spoken among the focal families,including a Family Engagement Resource CenterCoordinator, to improve the school’s ability to communicatewith students’ families.1 Lopez, M. E., & Balle, K. (1993). Building villages to raise our children: community outreach.Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project.SECTION 1.1 2.1 45