Back to School: How to Foster Community Involvement with Your School

Before the doors close on the building as one school year ends, teachers, administrators, and others associated with the local school turn their attention to plans for making the next school year better. They evaluate the things that worked and the things that didn’t, and they discuss what to do to improve both their performance and the student experience. One way to communicate the expectations and plans for Back to School as well as attract new students to the school is to create a marketing campaign that can be shared with the community.

When you are striving to present your school in the best light, you want the freshest ideas possible while still maintaining an element of tradition and decorum. What are the best ways to make your school look the best it possibly can? We’ve compiled a few ideas to spark your imagination and get your own ideas flowing.

Have A Dynamic Website

Most schools these days have a website that shares basic information. Typically, school websites share information such as staff names and contact info, a calendar for the year, and even course offerings. However, there are other ways to make your website shine.

First, keep your website updated. Ensure that the information you share is accurate, relevant, and interesting. Broken links are frustrating for anyone who visits your site. You should also have a social media presence and link to your social media pages from your website.

Take Advantage of Social Media

People everywhere are using social media on a daily basis. Adults and students both use socials like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. It’s time to bring your school into the modern age. Social media is a great way to communicate with parents.

If you’re trying to think of ideas that will take your social media presence to the next level, you should look at Poster My Wall. There you can find an Instagram template as well as templates for other social media sites.

Consider using your social media as a teaching aid as well. Parents love seeing their children’s work, so you could consider using the school’s Instagram as an art gallery. To turn it into a fundraiser, you could make the display a silent auction, displaying and selling students’ work.

Use flyers and posters

Having an online presence is excellent, but what good will it do if some of your target population doesn’t see it? Believe it or not, there are still people in the dark regarding social media and other web services. These people need a more old-fashioned approach to communication and advertising.

You might consider using a back to school flyer template to create unique posters that can be used to decorate your entire community. Use your flyers to advertise an event you made for new and returning students to socialize, learn about one another, and learn about the school. Perhaps holding a community-wide “Meet the People Behind Your Child’s Education” event will spark continued involvement with the school.

Host A Community Event

Think about it. Hosting a social event to introduce the staff and the parents, alumni, and current students to one another can be a great way to allow potential students and their parents to learn more about what you have to offer. To have a successful event, consider your community.

Is your community made up primarily of one ethnic group, or is it culturally diverse? The more you know about the community surrounding your school, the more successful you will be when creating and advertising your Back to School event. Getting the community involved before the school year begins is an excellent way to let them know you are interested in their input and value the community as a partner to your goals.

Your event could be a fundraiser or simply a social event. The key is to become known as a friendly, welcoming institution that values each individual while facilitating the classes’ success as a whole.

The Takeaway

Back to school is a critical time for schools. It can make or break the entire school year regarding community involvement and student participation. Designing a marketing campaign that lets the community know you welcome their input into your school is one of the most beneficial things you can do.

Whether it’s meet and greet community activities, plastering flyers all over town, or upping your social media presence, parents and students alike want to know their administrators and teachers value them. Create a website that keeps everyone aware of the happenings in and around the school.

Regardless of how you increase your school’s visibility, remember the key is to let students and parents feel like an integral part of the whole. Consider the community makeup and the goals of your school when creating your Back to School marketing campaign.