Education Beyond the Classroom: Connecting Schools and Communities
Description: To experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment, the entire community must care for and actively engage with children. Educators play an essential role in students' lives, as they have the ability to strengthen the bond between school, home, and the wider community, ultimately benefiting the holistic development of their students.
This 5-day training course is designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to foster positive relationships with students' families and engage the community in the education process. The training will cover best practices, communication strategies, and practical tools to create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.
Participants will explore the significance of family and community engagement, cultural sensitivity, and innovative approaches to partnership-building. By the end of this training, participants will be better prepared to bridge the gap between school and home, ultimately enhancing student success and overall school improvement.
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Dates and Locations
- 02.–06.12.2024
- 27.–31.10.2025 CONFIRMED SESSION
- 03.–07.03.2025
- 23.–27.06.2025
Don't see the dates that suit your group? Send us an e-mail with the proposed dates and location and we will get back to you.*
*- Only in case you are 7 or more persons from the same organisation.
Daily Programme
Monday - Introduction to family and community engagement
- Welcome and introductions
- Individual expectations, setting objectives for the week
- Getting to know each other & icebreakers
- Presentation of participants’ educational institutions
- Understanding why family and community engagement is crucial for student success and overall school improvement
- Exploring the historical context of family and community involvement in education
Tuesday - Building positive relationships with families
- Effective communication strategies and channels for building positive relationships with parents and guardians
- Understanding and respecting cultural diversity when engaging with parents and guardians
- Managing conflicts and challenging conversations with parents and guardians
- Conducting effective parent-teacher conferences and providing constructive feedback
- Different parental involvement strategies and how to implement them (e.g., goal setting between teachers, families, and students; involving parents in homework and family learning, etc.)
Wednesday - Involving the community
- Identifying and leveraging community resources to support students' development and education
- Establishing partnerships with local organisations, businesses, community leaders and volunteers
- Understanding service-learning opportunities and how to incorporate them into the curriculum
- Involving administrators, teachers, and staff in engagement initiatives
Thursday – Developing practical strategies
- Strategies to make classroom and school inviting to families and community members
- Understanding how to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of family and community engagement efforts
- How can I use the gained knowledge & and tools in practice? – making individual action plans for implementing family and community engagement strategies in the classroom or school.
- Receiving feedback, sharing ideas, strategies, and insights
Friday - Closing and exploring local culture
- Establishing a support network for ongoing collaboration and sharing best practices
- Summary and course evaluation
- Closing
- Cultural trip in the local area
Competences Acquired by Participants
The specific objectives are:
- Equip teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage effectively with students' families and community stakeholders.
- Foster a more supportive and inclusive educational environment by strengthening the school-community connection, leading to improved student achievement.
- Promote understanding and respect for cultural diversity to create a more inclusive and equitable educational experience.
- Provide strategies and tools for educators to build meaningful partnerships with families, local organizations, businesses, and community leaders.
- Help participants create personalized action plans for implementing family and community engagement strategies in their own educational settings.
- Encourage ongoing professional development and reflection, leading to continued growth in the realm of family and community engagement.
- Create a cross-cultural environment to discuss and exchange ideas with colleagues
- Learning tools for the professional development of the teacher
- Increase capacity to cooperate on an international level
- Improve communication and social skills
- Improve English language skills
Type of Certification of Attendance Awarded
- Certificate of attendance including description of training content and time input
- Certificate of obtained competencies
- Europass mobility certificates – to be issued by the applicant’s NA
Course Packages
Please note that ‘All in one – single room’ and ‘All in one – double room’ packages are being offered in all locations except London, Dublin, Barcelona, Athens, Porto, Lyon, Split and Pisa, where we have only the ‘Basic’ course package.
1. ‘ALL IN ONE – Single room’ PACKAGE - 1240€
- Tuition fee and training material
- Certificate of Competence
- Welcome dinner
- Accommodation in a Single room in a 3 or 4-star hotel (6 nights)
- Full Board (5 days)
- Administration costs
- Coffee Breaks
- Cultural visit
2. ‘ALL IN ONE – Double Room Sharing’ PACKAGE- 1040€
- Tuition fee and training material
- Certificate of Competence
- Welcome dinner
- Accommodation - double room sharing in a 3 or 4-star hotel (6 nights)
- Full Board (5 days)
- Administration costs
- Coffee Breaks
- Cultural visit
*Choose double room sharing if you are 2 colleagues from the same organisation willing to share a double room/ or if you have any accompanying person travelling to the venue of the course together with you (we can arrange the accommodation for accompanying persons as well).
3. ‘BASIC’ course PACKAGE - 450€
- Tuition fee and training material
- Certificate of Competence
- Welcome dinner
- Administration costs
- Coffee Breaks
- Cultural visit
Note: separate invoices for the training fee only (400 EUR) can be issued upon request from the organisation.
DOREA as well offers group discounts in the case of 7 or more persons from the same organisation.
Pre-Registration Form
Valuable experience – improving my personal qualities and teaching skills.
It was perfect - the subject, the trainer, the team!
I've learned new things, developed new skills and I believe I have more tools now to become a better teacher!
I liked the way the course was structured and how the trainer combined the theory and practise!
