The Importance Of Community Engagement In Schools

School is more than just learning the subject matter and progressing through class material. Educational institutions are designed to develop young minds in various ways so that students can become functioning and fulfilled members of society. But what does community engagement have to do with this? What is the importance of community engagement in schools?

Engagement in schools is an essential part of success, because if students aren’t engaged, whether in their class subjects or with their peers and extracurricular activities, their experiences at school aren’t going to be as fulfilled as they could be. Because of this, fostering true engagement in students is a vital piece of academic success. Various types of engagement must be addressed, and one that’s particularly crucial for students is community engagement.

What is community engagement in school?
Community engagement involves collaboration with those who live, study, or work in your community. When it comes to educational institutions, community engagement revolves around a student’s ability to connect and collaborate with members of their school community to foster positive changes in the environmental and behavioral aspects of education.

To drive community engagement, students are guided by specific principles set out by themselves, their teachers, their school administrators, and their peers. There is a specialized framework attached to community engagement in school that relies on different approaches and strategies that are inclusive, respectful, and empowering.

How does community engagement in learning help teachers?
Teachers and school systems can all benefit from community engagement in different ways. In the case of teachers, getting more involved in the school community is a great way to understand the needs of students. When families and students are more involved in school activities, it’s easier for teachers to get to know their students’ backgrounds, the areas in which they might be struggling, and the potential possibilities for addressing any issues that may arise during their educational career.

Teachers can also benefit from increased responsibility and accountability. When they choose their career, they sign up to ensure that each student receives the best possible education they can. If parents are involved in the community, teachers and guardians can share the load, leading to a more collaborative school environment for each pupil.

How does community engagement help school systems?
School systems can also benefit from an engaged community in a big way. That’s because reputation is often one of the most significant factors associated with where parents send their children for their education. If a school lacks community engagement, its educators and administrators may be seen as not particularly invested in students’ overall development and wellbeing. This can leave a school with a bad reputation that keeps them from growing and flourishing as a respected educational institution.

The practices enacted in schools can also improve based on the level of community engagement. No school is perfect; weaknesses highlighted by students and parents should be taken seriously and can lead to positive changes in how the school system functions. Without community engagement, improving educational programs and practices is much more difficult.

What is the importance of community engagement for students?
The benefits of community engagement for students are more in-depth than they are for teachers because of how this engagement affects their educational experiences and success rates. If parents, students, and teachers learn how to work together toward the common goal of student success, it can increase academic achievement.

For example, students often want to make their parents proud of them. When guardians of a child are along for the ride, as opposed to simply waiting on the sidelines for the good grades to roll in, it makes it much easier for a student to succeed.

Attendance and behavior in the classroom are also positively benefited by community engagement. When parents and teachers are interconnected, it’s easier to help a student see how their behavior and attendance levels directly affect their future. Community engagement also leads to a more open line of communication between students, parents, and teachers, allowing them to pave the road for a love of education.

In turn, this leads to a better overall chance that a student will see their educational experience as a positive one and want to continue to higher learning. The importance of post-secondary education is more evident to students with a support system comprised of their caretakers and educators.

Students involved in a community that is engaged with them and their peers are also more likely to be open to collaboration with their peers, be more interactive during classroom sessions, and be more engaged with the source material they’re learning.

How to foster community involvement in schools
Teachers, parents, guardians, and students can increase community engagement in school in several ways. Some examples include:

• Hosting in-person events to build connection and communication in a way that allows sharing of insights and ideas of the community
• Providing professional business workshops for students and their families to broaden their horizons and learn new real-world skills they can utilize within and outside school
• Developing virtual experiences, such as class trips/tours, that can improve learning and foster creative curiosity

Community engagement is achieved by blending the technical aspects of education alongside the more creative aspects of life and the general desire for new information. This connection allows students to draw from their experiences at school and in life. It’s about working together to create a better learning space for everyone involved using educational and societal principles.

 

Featured image by Hannah Busing on Unsplash