We asked Crystal Edwards, principal of William D. Kelley in North Philadelphia, to say a few words about the value of volunteers in the overall family engagement programming of the school. Check out her energizing thoughts below!

The educational journey of a child begins with their first educators, their parents. Parents bear the first responsibility to nurture, love and educate their children by initiating and continuing to take an active role in the participation of their child’s human development.

When a child enters school, an additional layer of nurture, love, and education are presented by school stakeholders. This cycle begins the family and school partnership. At W. D. Kelley, we welcome our parents as partners to continuously move our scholars to greatness! Every Thursday, Rasheeda Hancock, Family Engagement Liaison, from the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) assists Kelley parents in fulfilling the requirements to become parent volunteers. Partnering with parent volunteers allows Kelley scholars the opportunity to receive a more rewarding academic, social and emotional experience in their development and education.

Parent volunteers are vital to the vision, mission and anchor goals of our school. Without parent support through volunteerism, students would lack the well-rounded educational experience that all scholars need. Kelley parents who become volunteers receive an opportunity to engage and network with other parents and essential educators and have a direct voice in school decision- making, solidifying a lasting impact on our school’s footprints. Together, scholars are stronger!

Visit W.D. Kelley’s website to learn more about their school community!