Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 1: Building an understanding of family and community engagement

Title:	Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and the Community as Partners in Education Part 1: Building an understanding of family and community engagement
Description:	The Toolkit of Resources for Engaging Families and Community as Partners in Education provides resources for school staff to build relationships with families and community members and to support family well-being, strong parent-child relationships, and students' ongoing learning and development. Originally developed for the Guam Alliance for Family and Community Engagement in Education, the Toolkit is based on information from a variety of sources that address engagement in diverse communities. Part 1 of the toolkit provides tools and activities to build awareness among educators about how their beliefs and assumptions influence their interactions with families. The activities also address how demographic characteristics of the families can provide information to educators about what might support or hinder family engagement with schools. Part 1 is divided into four sections: reflecting on beliefs and assumptions, getting to know your families, understanding the influence of cultural lenses, and acknowledging cultural differences. Each section includes an introduction, summary of key points and related research, and a series of activities that can be used with school staff and community members. The activities are designed to guide discussions about the influence of culture on individual beliefs, assumptions, and efforts to engage others in support of student learning.
Online Availability:	Download, view and print the report as a pdf file. (328KB)
Cover Date:	September 2016
Web Release:	September 20, 2016
Print Release:	September 20, 2016
Publication #:	REL 2016148 General Ordering Information
Center/Program:	REL
Associated Centers:	NCEE
Authors:	Maria Elena Garcia, Kay Frunzi, and Ceri B. Dean: McREL International; Nieves Flores: Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service; Kirsten B. Miller: McREL International
Type of Product:	Tools
Keywords:	Fathers' Involvement in Children's Education Parental Involvement in Education Students • social factors
Questions:	For questions about the content of this Tools, please contact: Amy Johnson.