Offering indispensable advice, this authoritative guide explores how teachers, program leaders, coaches, and other youth workers can forge partnerships with families and encourage meaningful parental involvement. Inspirational stories and icebreaker suggestions are combined with fun activities and reproducible handouts, all designed to increase parental communication. Event planning, volunteer recruitment, and sustaining parental participation are concisely addressed as are the topics of appropriate conduct, helping young people through transitional periods, complimenting parents and children, and setting boundaries. This title includes a CD-ROM of more than 40 reproducible pages from the book.

Identifying your goals for parent engagement -- Communicating effectively with parents -- Reaching out to build positive relationships with all parents -- Meeting parents one-on-one -- Icebreakers for group gatherings -- Recruiting and managing parent volunteers -- Empowering parents to be successful leaders -- Appreciating and celebrating parent involvement.