Welcome to the 3rd issue of

Dear Families, Students, Educators, and Community Partners: Welcome to the third edition of our family and community engagement newsletter—now officially named the Engagement Exchange!

We’re excited to share not just updates and resources, but also a renewed focus on building meaningful partnerships between home, school, and community.

The name Engagement Exchange reflects our commitment to two-way communication, shared learning, and collaboration. We believe that strong family-school partnerships are essential for student success, and that starts with sharing ideas, celebrating wins, and working together.

In this issue, you’ll find:

Highlights from recent family events and initiatives
Tips and tools for supporting learning at home
Opportunities to get involved and make your voice heard
A sneak peek at upcoming events and programs

We hope this new format and name resonate with you, and we welcome your feedback! If there’s something you’d love to see featured or a story worth sharing, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for being an essential part of our learning community. Let’s continue the exchange!

Warmly,

Dr. Lanisha Makle-Ridley and Jeannette Mejias

Co-Project Directors

New Jersey Family Engagement Hub

Dr. Lanisha - Makle Ridley

Lanisha Makle-Ridley

Jeannette Mejias

Hub Updates & Community Highlights

June Webinar Recap: Join us for a Father-Side Chat: Engaging Fathers Building Stronger School Communities

On June 10, 2025, the New Jersey Family Engagement Hub hosted a powerful and timely webinar focused on the vital role of fathers in building stronger, more connected school communities. The discussion emphasized how father involvement positively impacts student success, family well-being, and school climate. Moderated by Senator Benjie E.

Wimberly, the event featured insightful perspectives from leaders actively working to support and engage fathers across New Jersey. Peter Burgos, Youth Coordinator at the Camden County Family Support Organization, shared his experience mentoring young people, fostering emotional wellness, and leading a men's support group that promotes responsible fatherhood and active parenting. Peter Burgos, Youth Coordinator at the Camden County Family Support Organization, shared his experience mentoring young people, fostering emotional wellness, and leading a men's support group that promotes responsible fatherhood and active parenting. Doug Goulding, a respected community advocate in Paterson and the Lead Facilitator for the Go F.A.R. Fathers Initiative at New Destiny Family Success Center, also joined the panel. He offered meaningful strategies for mentoring men and increasing father participation in schools and communities. Together, the panelists highlighted the importance of empowering fathers as partners in education and champions for their children's growth.

Missed the webinar? You can watch the full recording on our YouTube channel—click here to view it.

Parents as Champions for Healthy Schools Information Session and Virtual Workshop

In July and August, Kasey Dudley led a virtual workshop series, Parents as Champions for Healthy Schools, offered to both morning groups on Monday and evening groups on Thursday. The sessions focused on engaging families in student success through the WSCC (Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child) Model. Participants explored how health impacts achievement, how school systems function, ways to support learning at home, and the vital role of parents in fostering healthy school environments.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on our progress, upcoming events, and opportunities to get involved!

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Advisory Committee Update: June 2025

The advisory committee recently convened to share updates on statewide family engagement efforts, review sub-committee progress, and discuss key outcomes from the Parents as Champions initiative. Members reflected on accomplishments and challenges across various projects aimed at strengthening partnerships between

families, schools, and communities. A central focus of the meeting was building a stronger sense of belonging, voice, and leadership among parent members, recognizing their essential role in shaping equitable and inclusive school environments. Through a collaborative and thoughtful discussion, participants explored a range of important questions: What motivates parents to get involved? What challenges may be preventing consistent participation? What kinds of support do families need to contribute effectively?

The conversation centered on strategies to recruit and engage more parents—particularly underrepresented male family members—through shared insights and experiences that highlighted both challenges and opportunities, concluding with clear next steps and a renewed commitment to strengthening family-school-community partnerships that elevate parent leadership and support student success.

We’re inviting more parents to help shape our efforts!

Learn more about joining the Advisory Committee and apply today.

Get Involved!

Spotlight On! The Partners Driving NJFEHUB Forward

Workshop Series Kickoff with: Paterson Education Fund

The New Jersey Family Engagement Hub and Paterson Education Fund continue their interactive workshop series led by Rosie Grant and Brenda Ramos. The third session, Restorative Practices and School Climate: Restorative Practices Introduction, held virtually on June 10, focused on Restorative Practices.

Participants explored tools to build stronger school communities, including circle dialogue—an approach that fosters open communication, healing, and connection. In a virtual circle exercise, attendees shared values and passed them on “with” a meaningful adjective like “with gratitude,” creating a powerful sense of reflection and unity.

The fourth workshop, Student Success and Well Being: College and Career Track June 16, families, educators, and community members came together to support college and career readiness for all students. Participants shared experiences, explored key questions about higher education, and began building action plans. The session focused on asking the right questions—an essential tool for helping students succeed. The workshop offered valuable strategies and inspiration for students to take the next steps toward their futures. Thank you to all who joined us in supporting high-quality education for every student.

These workshops were educational, insightful, and full of engaging tools and interactions. We hope you'll join us for the next workshop with the Paterson Education Fund.

Workshop Series Kickoff with: SEL4NJ: Social Emotional Learning Alliance for New Jersey

The New Jersey Family Engagement Hub, in partnership with the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for New Jersey SEL4NJ, launched a dynamic workshop series. The sessions were led by Erica Brentan, a veteran educator with over 20 years of experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and professional development specialist.

A NYC Teaching Fellow, Erica began her career in public and charter schools in 2005 and later joined Turnaround for Children to support trauma-informed, equitable classrooms. In 2015, she founded School Works NJ to bring SEL coaching and training to schools across the state. The first session, Social Emotional Learning SEL on June 24, provided a strong foundation in the five core SEL competencies

and gave participants practical, ready-to-use strategies to foster emotional growth and resilience in educational settings. The second session, SEL 101: What Every Educator and Youth Worker Should Know, June 25, focused on helping families understand how SEL shows up in daily life and how they can support their children’s emotional

development at home. Both sessions emphasized building a shared language and consistent approach to SEL, helping bridge the gap between school and home. Together, these workshops empowered educators and families to create emotionally supportive environments that help children thrive. September, which will focus on family math strategies for high school students.

Support SEL at home and school—follow SPAN Parent Advocacy Network for tips and events.

Featured Articles and Resources

CASEL promotes evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) in education through research, policy, and school partnerships.

Advancing Social and Emotional Learning - CASEL. (2025, July 2). CASEL. https://casel.org/

Explore how positive culture and climate drive both academic and emotional success. Learn practical ways to elevate voices, define core values, and use data for growth in this YouTube session: “How to Improve School Culture and Climate.”

View Video

Stand Tall Steve. (2025, April 14). How to Improve School Culture and Climate | Just Do This book for K-12 educators [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si--DqW7alE