"Family Engagement Specialist"

Description

The Family Engagement Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to foster positive relationships between the school and families, ensuring active family involvement in the educational process. This role will focus on enhancing communication, increasing family participation in school activities, providing resources to support the academic, social, and emotional development of students, as well assist with creating and implementing fundraising opportunities with families. The Family Engagement Specialist will work closely with campus administrators, faculty and staff to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for families and families.

Examples of Duties

Develop and Implement Family Engagement Programs:

• Design, organize, and facilitate workshops, training, and informational sessions to engage families during their students’ time at Hampton.
• Promote and coordinate family participation in school events, meetings, and conferences.
• Work closely with the university’s leadership team to ensure alignment of family engagement strategies with overall university goals.

Improve Communication Between School and Families:

• Serve as a liaison between families and the university, ensuring effective communication and the exchange of information regarding student progress and school activities.
• Develop and distribute newsletters, emails, social media posts and other communications to keep families informed about school events, deadlines, and opportunities for involvement.
• Use various communication platforms (phone, email, social media, etc.) to ensure accessibility for all families.
• The ability to create graphics to help enhance the overall communication with families or families of students.

Support Student Success:

• Provide families with resources and strategies to support their child’s academic, social, and emotional development.
• Offer guidance to families on how to navigate university’s systems, including how students can access support services and assist with any trouble shooting.
• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of family engagement activities, adjusting strategies as needed to improve participation and outcomes.

Cultivate a Positive School Culture:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with families, fostering an inclusive and welcoming school environment.
• Promote family involvement in school committees, advisory boards, and potential internship or corporate partnerships for the university.
• Engage diverse families, ensuring equitable opportunities for all families to participate in university activities.
• Help cultivate families as another constituent group for fundraising and event attendance.

Collaboration and Community Partnerships:

• Work with community organizations, local businesses, and external agencies to provide additional resources and support for families.
• Help coordinate community outreach events, family nights, and volunteer opportunities that bring together university staff, families, and the broader community.

Data Tracking and Reporting:

• Collect and analyze data related to family involvement, identifying trends, barriers, and opportunities for improvement.
• Report on family engagement activities and outcomes to school leadership and stakeholders.
• Work with the Office of Advancement to assist in cultivating potential donors from the family population.

Typical Qualifications

Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree and 2-5 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

Supplemental Information

• Demonstrated initiative, independent judgment, and a positive, responsive, service-oriented attitude.
• Excellent critical thinking, interpersonal, communication, time-management and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to diplomacy, tact, and confidentiality when working with individuals on and off campus and responding to Advancement audiences.
• A great degree of flexibility in schedule as weekends may be required due to weekend-planned and scheduled events.
• Outstanding organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to manage multiple and competing projects concurrently while adhering to strict deadlines.
• Ability to represent the university at both on and off campus recruiting events.
• Ability to use graphic design software (Adobe Express, Adobe Suite, Canva, etc.).