Dialogue > Article > When parents become partners, the rewards are great for all

It is not unusual for parents to take a deeply vested interest in their children’s education, and at most independent schools, there is no exception. Conversely, independent schools rely heavily on the support of parents. It is a well-known fact that tuition alone often does not cover the cost of delivering an exceptional education, and parents and other community members are called upon for additional support, financial and otherwise, to ease the load that comes with providing superlative programming and opportunities for students. When a school is able to identify and provide parents with channels by which they can make a significant contribution to its life and culture, the benefits to both parties can enhance the community experience for everyone.

To successfully create new opportunities for parents, a school must identify their needs as well as its own. Who are the stakeholders that wish to play an active role in helping the school fulfill its mission? What role is not being filled at the school that requires the familiarity and understanding of someone who can bring an insider’s knowledge, but also relate to someone who is new to the culture? At The Bishop Strachan School, a day and boarding school for girls in Toronto, Ontario, parents expressed the desire for a different type of volunteer opportunity outside of the general Parent Association activities.

During the admissions process, prospective parents wanted a glimpse of the life of the school from every angle in order to make an informed decision for their daughter and their family, and sought to learn more about the school from the parent perspective. The Parent Ambassador program was created to meet this two-fold need.

Now entering its fifth year, this program allows parents to participate in the admissions process in an active and meaningful way. Ambassadors meet with prospective parents during their daughter’s one-on-one interview with a member of the school’s Admissions team. During this session, parents of current students provide a snapshot of volunteer opportunities, school life from a parent’s perspective and answer questions on all manner of topics that prospective parents might want to ask, but might not otherwise know who to ask. They also offer the chance to continue this dialogue by exchanging contact information.

When speaking parent-to-parent, the information that Parent Ambassadors communicate is invaluable as it allows families of prospective students to evaluate the school environment, atmosphere and culture from another angle. During the Admissions interview and tour—standard admissions practice for independent schools—parents see the school at work through the students’ eyes. Parental support is often behind the scenes and not always evident to new families during their early visits. A parent of a current student sharing his or her personal experience speaks volumes to incoming families. The experience for Junior School Parents, in JK through Grade 6, is different from those with children in the Senior School, in Grades 7 through 12. Questions tend to be specific to their daughter’s age and grade, and therefore parents of like grades are matched up.

There are also several parents who wish to remain involved in the life of the school even once their daughters have graduated. When playing the Parent Ambassador role, they are able to share their child’s story of success from beginning to graduation and beyond. Parent Ambassadors also partner with the school to co-host events to welcome new and returning families back to school in September.

Our parents have told us that they find the Parent Ambassador partnership a most rewarding and satisfying volunteer opportunity, which has enhanced their experience with the school and given them another meaningful way to participate in their children’s lives. Feedback from other schools who have adopted similar programs has been consistent with ours; families are grateful for the opportunity to meet or be a Parent Ambassador.

The Bishop Strachan School,

Toronto, Ontario

Patti Pilon, director of parent and community relations