Washington board focuses on community engagement

Conference-goers heard some advice for strengthening community engagement Monday at a session presented by West Valley, Wash., school board member Pam McLeod, Public Relations Director Sue Shields, Superintendent Polly Crowley, and Community Engagement Officer Austin DePaolo.

The West Valley school board has a long tradition of cultivating an environment of community collaboration, which is formally supported by a mission statement that calls for every student to have “a rigorous and relevant education achieved through strong relationships to maximize readiness for college, career, and citizenship.”

The school board hosts an annual block party to show appreciation for all the parents and stakeholders who volunteer time, talent, and energy to support students. This year, 1,000 people attended.

Since the board launched a community engagement initiative in 2006:

• Twenty-seven students and community members formed a steering committee and recruited student and adult volunteers to serve on subcommittees to develop goals and timelines.
• The district’s website has been expanded to include community engagement opportunities, information, and goals.
• Collaborative business partnerships have grown, including one initiative involving students and employees from local manufacturing and technology industries in a robotics competition and a business leaders’ lunch to how schools and businesses can support one another.
• Faith-based connections include the conversion of an abandoned building into The Crossing, a safe place for youth to gather for activities supervised by caring adults.
• The West Valley Education Foundation was established.

A grant from the Gates Foundation provided technical training and support to help the district plan and carry out its community engagement work.