At the Heart of Family Learning: Three key factors to sustaining family learning
A recent meeting I attended kicked off with an interesting question: If you’re a parent, what’s one priority you have for your child’s educational experience?
I thought about this question for my own daughter, who’s in her third year of studies at a local college. As she thinks about next steps for her career goals, she’s considering pursuing advanced training in her chosen field. My priority for her at this stage in her education would be that she discovers an authentic interest in her field of study–an interest that will help to ground and sustain her through lifelong learning.
This reflection on my daughter’s educational journey has parallels in the work that we do at NCFL. Considerations regarding what is necessary to sustain family learning programming are often on our minds as we partner together with schools, districts, and community-based organizations across the country. Often, when the topic of sustainability comes up with partners, the conversation shifts to funding: How will we pay for this program moving forward, once initial fiscal resources are exhausted? What new funding streams can we establish that will ensure program sustainability? What’s missing from this conversation is the understanding that ongoing fiscal support is only one element of a much longer list of key considerations that drive sustainability efforts.
Sustainability is multifaceted, encompassing considerations as diverse as funding, organizational capacity, community support, and program adaptability. Often, however, one overlooked consideration can supersede them all: authentic interest. Studies of secondary students have found that interest is a crucial factor in student attention, engagement, and achievement. I would argue that interest is equally important for the continuity of family learning programming. Three key factors combine to build interest and set the stage for program sustainability: local ownership, effective relationship-building, and demonstrated impact.
Local ownership. As Kaitlyn Ram Bo has noted in Stanford Social Innovation Review, it can be easy for a nonprofit to “slip into mindsets of ‘we have what you need, so we’ll make the choices for you.’” This mindset is not only counterproductive, it also fails to acknowledge the reality that those most affected by community challenges are often best situated to solve those challenges. Trust, relevance and a sense of ownership are built when local partners with lived experience are given the opportunity to co-design programs. When families feel connected to the solutions they’ve helped design, they’re more motivated to see those efforts succeed and to sustain them over time.
Effective relationship-building. As I discussed in last month’s blog post, relationship-building plays a crucial role in place-based work. NCFL’s family learning programming has long demonstrated its effectiveness at building the bridging and linking social capital through which families and community partners develop relational trust, shared understanding, and a willingness to collaborate to solve community challenges. Programs rooted in strong relationships among families, community partners, and local leaders are more resilient and responsive to changing needs, helping to sustain them as challenges arise or resources fluctuate. Prioritizing people and relationships can also lead to programs being seen as shared community efforts not as external interventions.
Demonstrated impact. It’s hard to argue with impact. As NCFL’s Sustain and Gain guide notes, “the first and best tool for sustainability is something you already have – a tremendous program that is demonstrating results.” Strong programmatic efforts or practices that provide demonstrated impact are a crucial driver of interest, providing families and communities with quality experiences, proven results, and a clear return on their investment. When programs provide tangible outcomes–like improved student learning outcomes or more effective family engagement–communities are more likely to trust a program’s value and become advocates for its continuation. Programmatic success is the first step towards more lasting progress which transcends programs to achieve systemic change and transformation in communities.
Taken together, these three factors drive interest and create the conditions for sustainability. This interest can have a momentum of its own, spreading by word of mouth and drawing in participants and partners who are inspired by the enthusiasm of their peers.
Later this month, stay on the lookout for a blog post from NCFL Nebraska Director Brian Welch, Southwest Director Sherri Hudson, and Training Specialist Hannah Van Horn highlighting stories of authentic interest and how it inspired sustainability. If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe to our Family Learning Insider newsletter to stay informed about new blog posts, webinars, and publications from NCFL as they become available.
About the Author
As President and CEO of the National Center for Families Learning, Dr. Felicia C. Smith brings decades of valuable experience to advance NCFL’s mission of eradicating poverty through education solutions for families. She is a firm believer in the power of family literacy and family learning for multi-generational impact, transforming the lives of families and communities.
Smith has served in a variety of leadership roles in P-12, higher education, nonprofits, and philanthropy. Her unique vantage point of a learner’s educational trajectory, from preschool to adulthood, is a result of her experience leading across multiple education systems. Recognized as an Aspen-Pahara education fellow, she serves on several local and national boards. She also holds the position of Vice Chair for the Southern Regional Education Board and was appointed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to chair the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council. In 2021, Smith participated in The Equity Lab’s prestigious year-long Nexus Fellowship.
Smith holds an Ed.D. in education leadership and administration from the University of Kentucky, an M.A. in elementary education with an emphasis on K-12 literacy development, and a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Louisville.
Follow Dr. Felicia C. Smith on LinkedIn.