Educators play a pivotal role in shaping young minds within the classroom, but the impact of education extends far beyond school walls. One crucial aspect often overlooked is the importance of parental engagement. Parents are a child’s first teachers and as educators, you recognize the significance of parental involvement in supporting students’ academic and personal growth. Research from the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement shows that 84% of educators would choose a school with more engaged parents over one offering a higher salary, but 73% identify engaging with parents and the community as challenging.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national philanthropy that creates better futures for the nation’s youth, parental engagement means “home and school come together as a team. Schools empower parents and caregivers by providing them with ways to actively participate, promoting them as important voices in the school and removing barriers to engagement.” 

One such way to remove engagement barriers is through Money Path, a web-based academic, career, and financial planning app for teens and young adults. Money Path serves as a bridge to facilitate meaningful conversations between educators, parents, and students at no cost to Wisconsin high schools. We’ve created this Family Engagement Resource to help you communicate Money Path to families. It includes a Google slide to be incorporated into presentation materials, discussion prompts that students can use with their families, and messaging advisors can use with parents and guardians. Let’s delve into how Money Path can provide one more touchpoint with parents and help you support them in nurturing student success.

Empowering parents as partners in education

1. Parent-teacher conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are valuable opportunities for educators and parents to discuss students’ progress, academic goals, and strategies for support. Money Path can enhance these conferences by giving parents insight into what path their teen is considering after high school, whether they’ll need financial assistance, how they plan to budget, and what their savings goals are. You can even provide parents with this Money Path Student Assignment for use at home with their teens to reflect deeper on their Money Path experience.

2. FAFSA planning

As an educator, you know that completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a crucial step in students’ accessing financial aid for college, but that some families are hesitant to fill it out or unaware of its importance. Money Path can demonstrate the financial impact of completing the FAFSA by estimating how much federal financial aid a student may receive, which helps them determine how much additional funding they will need from savings, scholarships, family, or student loans to cover the cost of college. It also allows students to compare in-state vs. out-of-state tuition and two-year vs. four-year colleges so families can make smart decisions about their student loan needs.

3. Senior planning nights

Senior planning nights provide a platform for seniors and their families to explore post-secondary options, including college, career, and financial planning. Money Path can enhance these events by helping parents and students start conversations about thinking past today with a realistic vision of what their future can look like. Together, they can explore students’ post-graduation goals and assess the potential long-term financial impacts of the choices they’ll be making in the coming months and years.

Strengthen the partnership with Money Path

The partnership between home and school is fundamental to a child’s academic success. By introducing parents to Money Path, you can empower them to actively engage in their teen’s educational journey and initiate meaningful dialogues that complement classroom learning and support their teen’s overall development. As educators, you’re constantly advocating for resources that support the holistic development of students. Showing parents how they can use Money Path at home with their teens demonstrates your commitment to providing comprehensive support. To gain access to Money Path for your classroom or to request a demo, complete this short form today!