Culturally Responsive Family Engagement: Three Strategies to Build Trust- (Room 910)

Culturally Responsive Practices Track

Presenters: Katherine Rosenblatt, LCSW & Michelle Mondesir, MPH

Strong partnership with families is an essential ingredient for joyful, culturally affirming, positive school climates where students from marginalized communities can thrive. Yet family engagement is often isn’t built into the college and university programs that prepare the vast majority of teachers for the classroom. In this interactive session, grounded in deep respect for the conditions in which educators work, participants will examine common challenges in family-school partnerships (e.g., miscommunication, one-size-fits-all approaches, failure to honor caregivers’ expertise). They will then explore three evidence-based strategies to build and/or repair trust with parents and caregivers. Through experiential activities, participants will practice empathic listening, perspective-taking, and recognizing and challenging assumptions in order to strengthen everyday communication, scaffold difficult conversations with caregivers, and lay the foundation for stronger relationships that honor families’ cultural assets and expertise. 

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