The Parent Engagement Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to foster positive relationships between the school and families, ensuring active parental involvement in the educational process. This role will focus on enhancing communication, increasing parent participation in school activities, providing resources to support the academic, social, and emotional development of students, as well assist with creating and implementing fundraising opportunities with parents. The Parent Engagement Specialist will work closely with campus administrators, faculty and staff to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for parents and families.
Job Duties:
Develop and Implement Parent Engagement Programs:
- Design, organize, and facilitate workshops, training, and informational sessions to engage parents during their student’s time at Hampton.
- Promote and coordinate family participation in school events, meetings, and conferences.
- Work closely with the university’s leadership team to ensure alignment of parent engagement strategies with overall university goals.
Improve Communication Between School and Families:
- Serve as a liaison between parents and the university, ensuring effective communication and the exchange of information regarding student progress and school activities.
- Develop and distribute newsletters, emails, social media posts and other communications to keep parents informed about school events, deadlines, and opportunities for involvement.
- Use various communication platforms (phone, email, social media, etc.) to ensure accessibility for all families.
- An ability to create graphics to help enhance overall communication with parents or families of students.
Support Student Success:
- Provide parents with resources and strategies to support their child’s academic, social, and emotional development.
- Offer guidance to parents on how to navigate university’s systems, including how students can access support services and assist with any trouble shooting.
- Monitor and assess the effectiveness of parent engagement activities, adjusting strategies as needed to improve participation and outcomes.
Cultivate a Positive School Culture:
- Build and maintain strong relationships with parents, fostering an inclusive and welcoming school environment.
- Promote parent involvement in school committees, advisory boards, and potential internship or corporate partnerships for the university.
- Engage diverse families, ensuring equitable opportunities for all parents to participate in university activities.
- Help cultivate parents as another constituent group for fundraising and event attendance.
Collaboration and Community Partnerships:
- Work with community organizations, local businesses, and external agencies to provide additional resources and support for families.
- Help coordinate community outreach events, family nights, and volunteer opportunities that bring together university staff, parents, and the broader community.
Data Tracking and Reporting:
- Collect and analyze data related to parent involvement, identifying trends, barriers, and opportunities for improvement.
- Report on parent engagement activities and outcomes to school leadership and stakeholders.
- Work with the Office of Advancement to assist in cultivating potential donors from the parent population
Qualifications:
Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree and 2-5 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution
Requirements:
- Demonstrated initiative, independent judgment, and a positive, responsive, service-oriented attitude.
- Excellent critical thinking, interpersonal, communication, time-management and problem-solving skills
- Commitment to diplomacy, tact, and confidentiality when working with individuals on and off campus and responding to Advancement audiences.
- A great degree of flexibility in schedule as weekends may be required due to weekend-planned and scheduled events
- Outstanding organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to manage multiple and competing projects concurrently while adhering to strict deadlines.
- Ability to represent the university at both on and off campus recruiting events
- Ability to use graphic design software (Adobe Express, Adobe Suite, Canvas, etc.)