Practical PR: Partnering with Your Community
By Keegan Kociss
The Tinley Park, Oak Forest, and Orland Park communities have always been steadfast partners of School District 146. In addition to supporting PTOs and PTAs with fundraising opportunities and donations, local businesses, organizations, and community leaders are active participants in student learning and family support.
Over the last two years, CCSD 146 has been making a concerted effort to highlight community partnerships, show businesses and organizations they are appreciated, and provide families with information on local supports. These goals are tied to the district’s strategic plan. The efforts have resulted in two new programs that rely on community partnerships.
The District 146 Community Partnership Program is aimed at providing businesses and organizations with opportunities to support our schools and impact student learning and development. The Community Resource Page provides the community with a list of resources that include, in part, local nonprofits, medical services, and child development programs. In both instances, local businesses and organizations share in the benefit.
Community Partnership Program
At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, we introduced the District 146 Community Partnership Program. The partnership program began with an effort to compile a database of businesses, organizations, and community leaders that have worked with the district in the past.
District schools regularly partner with businesses and community groups not just for fundraising opportunities, but for a variety of school activities. The district depends on partners to present at career days and “Explore More Days” and visit classrooms to discuss a variety of educational topics. Many groups and individuals, including libraries, scout troops, and even yoga businesses, attend after-school family events.
CCSD 146 also looked to expand its partnership list. We worked with local chambers of commerce to send a survey to their members. The same survey was distributed to the public on District 146 social media accounts. The survey allowed those interested in partnering with the district to specify what they were seeking. Choices included fundraising assistance, volunteer opportunities for clubs, and classroom visits.
By being visible in our schools and businesses, organizations can gather new customers and clients. In some instances, teachers, parents, and students find out about businesses and organizations from their presence in the schools. Many of these visits and events are captured in photos and shared on social media, showcasing these partnerships. As a token of appreciation, each partner receives a hand-written thank you card with a “District 146 Community Partner” window decal. We hope our partners display the sticker at their businesses or office to show the community that they are partnering with their local schools.
Community Resource Page
The district also created a Community Resource Page to link families, staff, and community members to local resources. The Community Resource Page was developed with the goal of combining multiple existing resource lists into one database. Previously, individual lists were maintained by the district’s early learning department, school psychologists, and school nurses.
A committee was created to help build this new database. The committee decided that simply listing resources was not adequate. We wanted to show families that the organizations and businesses are actual partners of District 146, not just a random list. Each resource listed has a cover page that includes a contact person, business hours, eligibility requirements, and additional documentation that may be needed to receive services.
Members of the committee, including early learning staff, social workers, and family support specialists, personally reach out to businesses to complete the informational cover pages. This not only assures accuracy but also creates a personal relationship between the district and its partners. By being included on the district’s Community Resource Page, these organizations and providers are not only gaining new clients, but also showing their care to those in need.
Creating the Community Resource Page eliminated redundancies in tasks and allowed the district to open the database to the public. Those seeking assistance can browse the list without speaking with school staff members, which may have been a deterrent to some seeking support.
Board Members as Advocates
School PR professionals are always looking for a lead, and you can be that lead. As community leaders, school board members are active in the community. Many are members of community organizations or local groups and have relationships with the type of organizations the schools could be looking for. Some are business owners themselves and know others who may be interested in being active in the schools. Those existing relationships can be utilized to benefit both the school district and the potential community partners.
When planning to attend a community meeting or event, stop by and talk to the district staff member in charge of community relations. Ask what kind of information you can relay to business and organization leaders. Perhaps grab a few of their business cards to distribute. Whether your district is looking for individuals to speak to classes, organizations to volunteer with, or fundraising opportunities, board members can be ready to tell the story of the district’s engagement efforts.
At District 146, as in many districts, community partnerships are always aimed at enhancing student learning and family support. That is our end goal. In whatever way you can help your district’s community outreach, keep the end goal in mind. Fostering community partnerships, if done well, will also foster student growth and development.