My Tip of the Week: Connect with Parents of All Cultures
One
of
of the most frequent questions we receive at PTO Today involves how PTOs and PTAs can more effectively engage parents from all of the cultures represented at their school.
As with many involvement challenges, the first step here is not a meeting or a new volunteer job but rather a welcoming event that helps parents of different cultures connect with your group. My favorite event on this front: International Night.
You can check out my recent video blog on International Night for some of the reasons why it's a great event.
It's a really flexible concept. You might collaborate with your geography or literature teachers to make the night academically focused. It's also a chance to create an amazing food-centered night with home cooking from many different places. Music and dance, too, can be a great fit. There's no right or wrong answer as long as you're creating a natural welcome mat for the parents you're looking to reach. And then working smartly after the fact to keep those connections going.
Here are two good articles in this area:
Good luck!
As with many involvement challenges, the first step here is not a meeting or a new volunteer job but rather a welcoming event that helps parents of different cultures connect with your group. My favorite event on this front: International Night.
You can check out my recent video blog on International Night for some of the reasons why it's a great event.
It's a really flexible concept. You might collaborate with your geography or literature teachers to make the night academically focused. It's also a chance to create an amazing food-centered night with home cooking from many different places. Music and dance, too, can be a great fit. There's no right or wrong answer as long as you're creating a natural welcome mat for the parents you're looking to reach. And then working smartly after the fact to keep those connections going.
Here are two good articles in this area:
Good luck!
