Today's guest, Marcela Andrés, is the CEO and president of Design Engagement. Design Engagement is a consulting firm built around the idea that education can be transformed by enhancing the connection between students, families, educators, and communities. Her book, Purposeful Educator Connections, discusses how educators can strengthen their relationships with students and discusses five principles that can enhance the culture of the classroom. Throughout our conversation, Marcela emphasizes the importance of family engagement at all education levels, providing practical advice and success stories from her experience and consulting work. The conversation also touches on overcoming barriers to family involvement in higher education, the need for systems that support teacher-family communication, and the impact of culturally responsive strategies.

What you will learn:

• Why involving family and community in student education matters.
• Simple tools that teachers can use to integrate families into their students' education.
• Examples of how to overcome challenges when striving for more family and community engagement.
• Strengthening these connections can drive key goals, like student retention, while reducing uncertainty for first-generation student.

Thanks for listening!
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