Every community – and every school – has different demographics, different strengths and different needs.
What are the needs in your school community?
How will you find out?
Here are a few suggestions:
- Run a survey. There are free online tools such as Survey Monkey Jotform and Google Forms (Note that Survey Monkey free accounts are now limited to 25 responses per survey). Or your school community may prefer good old-fashioned paper!
We have provided a sample survey that you can adapt to your needs, and is suitable for either print or online use. Just insert your school and club name at the top of the document, and substitute whatever name you use for “Parent Club” throughout the document. - Use your meetings to listen to your members. Encourage members to ‘network’ with other parents and be alert to emerging needs in the school community.
- Watch social media. Are there themes in the comments? If a few people say it, many others are probably thinking it.
- Keep in touch with teachers and school management. They should be aware of issues and needs in the school community.
