Organization: Doncaster Council
Country: Doncaster, England, United Kingdom
Education level: Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary
Organization type: Government
Family involvement: Building Relationships and Interactions, Building Parent Knowledge and Advocacy Skills
Overview
The local government in Doncaster, England, uses the Parent Champions program to recruit teams of motivated parents to connect with their peers (R. Precious, personal communication, April 10, 2021). Champions spend a few hours every week talking to less engaged parents about education and schooling, with topics ranging from school events to the benefits of being more involved. Champions might reach out to other parents on the playground to talk about their thoughts on the school or help explain the new curriculum. Champions act as intermediaries between schools and families and build trust by removing psychological barriers to engaging with teachers, such as parents’ discomfort with authority figures. The only resource this strategy requires is a cohort of parents willing to volunteer and a staff that can train them. The program, which has the potential to reach all parents with low engagement, works as an unconventional way of interacting with parents who may feel uncomfortable speaking with school staff. Regardless of their attitudes toward school officials, parents trust other parents and are more likely to listen to those who understand their position and are on their side.