Building Relationships and Connections in School Age Programs

Activity	Materials	Strategy	Concept

Team-building games

Building materials, outdoor equipment

Foster teamwork and trust through structured games

Promoting collaboration and trust among children

Community partnership planning

Community contact list, partnership guide

Plan intentional outreach to local community organizations

Building connections between school-age programs and the local community

Family interviews

Interview questions, notebooks

Hold structured conversations with families to learn about their values and priorities

Strengthening family partnerships through active listening

Child-led conferences

Conference format, visual aids

Allow children to lead discussions on their learning experiences with families

Empowering children to take an active role in their educational journey

Cultural awareness workshops

Cultural resources, multimedia materials

Offer training on cultural competence for educators

Emphasizing inclusivity and cultural responsiveness in relationship-building

Parent-child collaborative projects

Art supplies, planning materials

Develop projects that require parents and children to collaborate

Strengthening family bonds and educational involvement

Community outreach initiatives

Flyers, event invitations, local partner contacts

Organize events that invite community partners into the school-age program

Deepening connections with community organizations

Peer mentorship programs

Mentoring guidelines, program materials

Pair older children with younger ones to foster leadership and connection

Encouraging role models and leadership within the group

Teacher reflections on relationships

Reflection journals, prompts

Encourage teachers to reflect on how they build and sustain relationships

Promoting self-awareness and growth in relationship-building

Collaborative lesson planning with school staff

Lesson plan templates, shared planning documents

Co-plan with school administrators and teachers to ensure continuity between school and program

Ensuring alignment and a smooth transition between settings

Family engagement workshops

Workshop materials, guest speakers

Hold workshops that provide tools and strategies for parents to support their child’s education

Empowering families with resources for involvement

Relationship mapping

Large charts, sticky notes, markers

Create visual maps that track connections and relationships between educators, children, and families

Visualizing and strengthening the network of relationships in the program

Inclusive practices reflection

Reflective journals, case studies

Reflect on and discuss how inclusivity is incorporated into the program

Promoting inclusivity as a core aspect of relationship-building

Open-door policy for families

Signage, family newsletter

Implement an open-door policy to encourage regular family visits

Fostering open communication between families and educators

Community celebration events

Event decorations, invitations, materials for activities

Host community events that bring families and local partners together

Building a sense of belonging and community around the program

Feedback circles with children

Reflection prompts, circle seating

Organize regular feedback circles where children can express their thoughts on relationships and activities

Strengthening the child’s voice in program development

Cultural heritage days

Cultural artifacts, music, food

Celebrate the cultural diversity of families by holding cultural heritage days

Promoting cultural pride and awareness in the program

Conflict resolution role-playing

Scenario cards, role-play guides

Use role-play to teach conflict resolution strategies

Helping children and educators manage disagreements constructively

Peer group discussions

Group seating, discussion prompts

Encourage peer discussions on how to foster positive relationships

Building critical thinking and empathy through group dialogue

Community resource mapping

Local resources directory, map

Create a map of local resources available to children and families

Connecting families with valuable community resources

Parent and teacher collaborative planning

Planning materials, communication tools

Facilitate joint planning between parents and teachers to support individual children

Building partnerships with parents in supporting children’s development

Emotional literacy sessions

Emotion cards, storytelling props

Teach emotional literacy through stories and role-play

Enhancing children’s ability to express and understand emotions

Welcome kits for new families

Brochures, program information, local guides

Create welcome kits for new families to orient them to the program

Creating a warm, inclusive welcome for all families

Interactive school visits

Classroom tour guides, school staff

Organize visits to the school for children and families to meet school staff

Ensuring smooth transitions between school and program environments

Parent advisory committees

Meeting agenda templates, feedback forms

Establish a parent advisory committee to give families a voice in program development

Strengthening family engagement and leadership in decision-making

Collaboration with school counselors

Referral forms, case study materials

Partner with school counselors to address emotional and social needs of children

Building cross-institutional support for children’s well-being

Community volunteer programs

Volunteer guidelines, permission slips

Invite community members to volunteer in the program to create reciprocal relationships

Building connections through volunteerism and community involvement

Family and community surveys

Survey templates, data collection tools

Regularly survey families and community members for feedback on the program

Gathering valuable input from families and partners for program improvement

Flexible meeting times for families

Scheduling tools, communication platforms

Offer flexible meeting times to accommodate families’ schedules

Ensuring all families have access to communication and support

Digital communication platforms for families

Communication apps, newsletters

Use digital platforms to share program updates and engage families remotely

Enhancing communication and engagement with families through technology

School-to-program transitions planning

Transition templates, communication strategies

Develop a plan to support children transitioning from school to after-school programs

Ensuring smooth transitions for children between school and the program

Cultural exchange days

Cultural displays, activity stations

Organize cultural exchange days where families share their traditions with the group

Promoting respect for diverse cultures and traditions

Parent-child book clubs

Books, reading guides

Start a parent-child book club to foster reading and bonding

Promoting literacy and family engagement through reading

Community partner presentations

Guest speakers, presentation materials

Invite community partners to present on resources available for children and families

Educating families and educators about local resources

Responsive programming based on family needs

Survey results, individualized plans

Adjust the program to meet the evolving needs of families and children

Flexibly adapting programming to reflect the needs of the community

Open houses for families and community

Invitation cards, program displays

Hold open houses where families and community members can visit and learn about the program

Encouraging transparency and building relationships with families and the local community

Shared learning experiences

Collaborative lesson plans, materials

Plan shared learning experiences where children, families, and staff collaborate on activities

Fostering shared learning and mutual respect between educators, children, and families

Staff reflection and professional growth sessions

Reflective prompts, professional development tools

Schedule regular staff reflection and professional development sessions focused on relationship-building

Supporting continuous growth of staff in fostering positive relationships

Building partnerships with local libraries

Library resource guides, partnership agreements

Develop relationships with local libraries to provide reading resources and programs for children

Strengthening community connections through educational partnerships

Community storytelling projects

Audio or video recording tools, story prompts

Invite community members to share their stories and experiences

Strengthening community ties through shared narratives

Community service projects

Volunteer opportunities, project plans

Plan service projects that engage children and families in giving back to the community

Teaching social responsibility and collaboration through service

Joint social gatherings with school staff

Event planning materials, food, and seating

Organize social gatherings that include both program staff and school staff

Building a sense of unity and partnership between school and program staff

Family-led community projects

Project planning materials, community contact information

Engage families in leading community service or outreach projects

Building leadership within families and fostering community engagement

Building trust through consistent communication

Communication logs, email templates

Maintain consistent, open communication between families and educators

Establishing trust through transparent and regular updates

Parent involvement in curriculum design

Curriculum planning materials, feedback forms

Involve parents in the development of curriculum to reflect their values and priorities

Strengthening family engagement in educational processes

Shared community resource boards

Bulletin boards, community resource flyers

Create shared spaces that list community resources for families

Helping families access valuable resources within the community

Family dinners or potlucks

Food, seating arrangements, name tags

Host family dinners or potlucks to encourage community building

Strengthening bonds through shared meals and socializing

Cultural competency training for staff

Training materials, diversity resources

Provide cultural competency training for staff to better engage with diverse families

Enhancing cultural awareness and responsiveness in relationship-building

Family resource evenings

Resource guides, community contacts

Organize evenings where families can learn about community resources and supports

Connecting families to essential resources and building a support network

Group problem-solving discussions

Group seating, problem scenarios

Facilitate discussions on challenges related to building relationships and develop solutions together

Promoting collective problem-solving and collaboration

Celebration of milestones

Event planning materials, milestone certificates

Celebrate personal and program milestones, such as children’s achievements or program anniversaries

Fostering a positive environment where accomplishments are recognized

School-age program newsletters

Newsletter templates, writing materials

Create newsletters to keep families informed about program activities and successes

Building transparency and engagement through regular communication

Partnership with local youth organizations

Partnership agreements, event invitations

Build partnerships with youth organizations to create additional opportunities for children

Expanding program opportunities by connecting with other youth-focused organizations

Staff well-being initiatives

Well-being resources, relaxation activities

Implement staff well-being initiatives to ensure educators are supported in their relationships with children and families

Ensuring staff well-being to sustain positive relationship-building

Multi-generational program activities

Activity supplies, family invitations

Plan activities that involve multiple generations of families to engage children and their extended families

Promoting intergenerational connections and shared learning experiences

Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs

SEL resources, activity guides

Incorporate SEL programs that help children understand their emotions and relationships

Developing emotional intelligence and relationship skills in children

Communication-focused professional development

Workshop materials, communication tools

Offer professional development focused on communication strategies for relationship-building

Enhancing educators’ communication skills to build strong relationships

Collaboration with local art organizations

Art materials, local artist contacts

Collaborate with local artists to provide creative programming that connects children to the community

Strengthening local ties through arts and culture

Create a shared vision statement

Vision statement templates, staff input

Develop a shared vision statement for the program that reflects the values of relationships and community engagement

Fostering alignment and shared goals among educators, children, and families

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