Trained Hosts Expand Conversations about Family Partnership and Educational Equity in Alaska

Chookán, Lakrisha Brady; AASB Youth & Cultural Education Coordinator

This April, during the Alaska Family Engagement Center gathering, the AASB team had the opportunity to work with family partnership teams across the state. We facilitated a two-day host training, adapted from First Alaskans Institute’s Dialogues on Racial Equity. Participants focused on facilitation techniques that help to strengthen relationships between schools, communities, students, caring adults, and families. Participants had the opportunity to work with district teams and across communities. 

Participants were able to consider how questions and space for conversation can help a community and school work towards a shared vision.

How to be in good relationships?

One of the questions the participants explored is, “What gets in the way of good relationships and how do we cultivate strong relationships?” The group discussed that it is our shared responsibility to collectively work towards removing barriers and building good relationships. Staff turnover, intergenerational trauma, poor communication, and lack of training were a few barriers that consistently emerged across all partners. 

How can we use host trainings as a tool to move forward together?

The teams not only considered how they could use social technologies and tools to develop solutions and approaches, but also the participants had a chance to consider what conversations they would like to host and how to host them.

Building our practice for dialogues and conversations:

There is a lot to be mindful of when hosting conversations for educational equity, racial equity, and family partnership. Each participant committed to working with AASB staff or other participants to use these practices. Each partner talked through and planned dialogue(s) that could be appropriate for their communities and/or schools. Each team walked away with dialogue plans.

Our participants are planning conversations or have hosted conversation on some of these topics.

• How do we strengthen staff relationships
  • Establishing, Maintaining, & Repairing Relationships
• How do we build our schools for students to succeed
• How can we work together to build school climate & strengthen our relationships
• What are ways we can strengthen relationships between families & schools
• Make our mission matter: This group’s district recently adopted a new district mission and wanted to help staff through the process of owning and upholding it.
• School consolidation community dialogue
• Lightening the load: addressing the fatigue of an extended day with students

Learn More

If you’re interested in training your staff to become hosts or you are looking for strategies to strengthen relationships within your district, school, and/or community, please continue reading about successes of other districts here or reach out to AASB for more information at lbrady@aasb.org.

We thank you for your ongoing commitment to Alaska’s youth and families. Contact us for more information. Gunalchéesh!