Frankly author and Trauma-Competent trainer, Amber Black, and Frankly Founder, Emily Roden, will guide you through two simple models you can use with families to support them through difficult student behavior. You will leave with digital versions of two bilingual handouts, ready to be used in parent conferences, family events, IEP meetings, and more. Join us to transform your family engagement strategy and build stronger partnerships with the families you serve. Find more from www.ilovefrankly.com

In the past 2.5 years, Lufkin ISD has improved family engagement with a multi-tiered approach tailored to different needs. The 21st Century Texas ACE Lufkin ISD Family Engagement Advisory Team, including parents and community partners, meets regularly to plan and evaluate activities. Initiatives like Parent Cafe Family Chats, Discover with Me Math, and FIT Family Instructional Time were launched based on parent feedback. Lufkin ISD offers GED, ESL, and citizenship classes with Angelina College. Programs such as Family Night at the Museum and the Raising Highly Capable Kids have also been successful. Their Family Engagement Dashboard tracks progress, showing significant increases in family interactions and parent involvement. They ended the first semester of 2023-2024 with 2,025 family interactions, surpassing the previous year’s total. Partnerships with over 20 community organizations enhance their program, supporting activities like the Lufkin Living Library and College Readiness events.

In its first year, the Office of Family and Community Engagement started virtual sessions to inform families about COVID-19. As the situation improved, they launched the Family and Community University (FCUniversity) in October of 2021 to tackle misconceptions about parental involvement in education. FCUniversity, themed “Empowering Families Look Forward,” offered lessons in English and Spanish, plus one in Vietnamese. The program’s success, driven by collaboration and effective marketing, saw enrollment grow from 230 to 1,100 by December of 2023. The program, which expanded to five new locations, including two churches, provided families with essential skills for employment and personal growth. Highlights include graduates achieving U.S. citizenship, earning Microsoft Specialist Certifications, and enrolling in higher education. The initiative has gained attention from other districts and underscores the importance of connecting with families to foster positive change. The ultimate goal is to transform FCUniversity into the “Aldine Adult Education Center.”

Both educators and parents are concerned about children’s mental and emotional well-being. Schools and educators are already focused on caring for students’ well-being, but how can we bridge the gap between home and school? How do we create meaningful partnerships with families to meet their students' pressing social-emotional needs? This workshop incorporates key concepts from the latest research on compassion, resilience, mental health, and brain-based parenting strategies. It’s research-based but fun, simple, and interactive! We will highlight content from Calm and Kind Family, a Parent workshop series designed to equip families with: Tools for increasing emotional regulation Practices for building positive mental health practices in the home, including self-compassion and self-care A framework to find the "why" behind & address misbehavior Calming Strategies for every age and stage.