Bridges, Not Barriers: Engaging Multilingual Families Through Inclusive School Events
- 7 days ago
- 6 min read
Nicki Foltz
Boyd Elementary
Springfield, MO
Intro
The Bridges, Not Barriers: Engaging Multilingual Families Through Inclusive School Events project aims to increase multilingual family engagement by identifying and removing barriers and designing inclusive school events that are accessible to English-language (EL) families. Family engagement is a key factor in supporting the academic success and development of multilingual learners (Ansari & Pianta, 2023; Jeon et al., 2026; Martinez-Yarza et al., 2024). Given the noticeable engagement gap between our multilingual families and English-speaking families, the primary goal is to identify and remove family engagement barriers and then host a multicultural school event with multiple access points for multilingual families (He et al., 2025; Peltier et al., 2025).
My school is part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). Each spring, we host a PYP Family Night to celebrate our 5th-grade students completing the culminating PYP Exhibition which is designed to help inform our families about the program.
This year, we planned our PYP Family Night stations around the IB Learner Profile, which is a set of ten attributes that include Caring, Communicators, Balanced, Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Open-Minded, Principled, Reflective, Risk-Takers, and Thinkers. Families used a passport to visit stations related to each attribute and chose a multicultural book to take home.
For the Thinker station, families learned about world geography by using the iPoster World Maps to answer trivia questions about world languages, capitals, landmarks, population, and flags.
For the Inquirer station, families learned about flags around the world by doing a “Guess the Flag” game. Families were given a flag from the World Flag Desk Set, and then they used the World Flag books and World Flag Flashcards to find out if their guesses were correct.
For the Open-Minded station, families listened to the book Fireworks by Mathew Burgess and Catia Chien--a multicultural Caldecott Award book. After they listened to the book, they learned about how different places around the world use fireworks to celebrate holidays.
Step-by-Step Plan
October/November
Research the school’s English-language population to determine home languages and cultural backgrounds
Create a pre-event and post-event family survey and translate it into the school’s home languages (See below for Surveys)
Copy and send the pre-event survey home with families
Set a date for the family event and add it to the school calendar
December/January
Create fliers for the event and translate them into home languages
Share event fliers with families through Friday Folders and on social media
Collect pre-event surveys and analyze the data
February/March
Order supplies for the event
Continue to remind families about the event on social media and family communication Apps
Create a schedule of the stations for the event
Ask staff members to sign up to support stations
Create a family passport for the event and translate it into home languages
Copy and fold the passports
Create signage for the event and then translate the signage into home languages
Copy the post-event survey
April
Set up and host the family event
Ask families to fill out the post-event survey
Analyze the data from the post-event survey and then compare it with the pre-event data
Inform school administrators of the data collected to inform future events
Materials
Sustainability
This project can be sustained by continuing to build relationships with EL families and providing inclusive events throughout the school year. This includes asking EL families what their preferred language is and using that information for all school communication. It also includes using preferred languages in signage and resources during family events. An additional step towards sustainability would be to continue to seek input and involve EL families in the planning process for future events.
Reflections:
One of my key takeaways from this project is that meaningful family engagement requires an ongoing schoolwide commitment to build relationships with EL families. When EL families feel seen, respected, and valued, they are more likely to engage in the school community and support their child’s education.
The second key takeaway is that the school’s language used for family communication may create a barrier for EL families. Most schools unintentionally provide information in English only, which means that some EL families cannot access this information. Schools must provide EL families with school information in their preferred language and in various formats to increase accessibility.
The third takeaway was the importance of having multilingual signage, passports, and resources available to our EL families. This small change helped our EL families feel welcomed and included.
A final takeaway is the importance of seeking input from EL families when planning events. The surveys provided key insight into the needs, preferences, and experiences of EL families. This should be an ongoing conversation with EL families so that schools can continue to improve and provide relevant and meaningful family experiences.
Video of the families at the event
Pre-Event Survey
Purpose: To gather input from families about their experiences with previous school events in order to identify what has worked well, what barriers exist, and how events could be more inclusive going forward.
Family Event Feedback Survey #1
We value your participation! Please take a moment to tell us about your experiences with past school events at Boyd Elementary School. Your input will help us plan future events that are welcoming and meaningful for all families.
1. Have you attended any school events in the past year?
(Examples: Family Literacy Night, Cultural Celebration, Math Night, etc.)
Yes
No
2. If yes, which event(s) did you attend?
(Check all that apply)
Meet the Teacher
SPS University
Open House
Literacy Night
Math or STEM Night
Parent-Teacher Conferences
PYP Event (Exhibition)
Other: ___________________________
3. How would you describe your experience at these events?
Very enjoyable
Somewhat enjoyable
Neutral
Somewhat unenjoyable
Not enjoyable
4. What made the event(s) meaningful or helpful to your family?
(Check all that apply)
Opportunity to connect with teachers
Information to support learning at home
Celebration of culture and language
Fun activities for my child(ren)
Felt welcomed and included
Other: ___________________________
5. What challenges or barriers, if any, made it difficult to attend or participate?
(Check all that apply)
Transportation
Time of day
Lack of translation or interpretation
Childcare
Unfamiliar with the event or unsure what to expect
Other: ___________________________
6. Do you feel that school events reflect and celebrate the cultures and languages of your family?
Yes
Somewhat
Not really
No
Not sure
7. What would make school events more welcoming or inclusive for your family?
(Short answer)
8. In what language(s) would you prefer to receive information about school events?
English
Spanish
Arabic
Swahili
Other: ___________________________
9. Would you be interested in participating in or helping plan a future school multicultural literacy event?
Yes
Maybe
No
10. Do you have any additional suggestions or comments?
(Short answer)
Post-Event Survey
Purpose: To gather input from families about their experiences with a multiliteracy school event to identify what has worked well, what barriers still exist, and how events could be more inclusive going forward.
Family Event Feedback Survey #2
Thank you for attending our recent multiliteracy event! Please take a moment to share your thoughts on the event. Your feedback helps us improve and ensures that all families feel included, celebrated, and supported within our school community.
1. What did you and your family enjoy most about the event?
(Check all that apply)
Multilingual story readings
Cultural performances or music
Crafts or literacy activities
Food and refreshments
Connecting with community organizations
Meeting and socializing with other families
Seeing our family’s culture/language represented
Other: ___________________________
2. Did your family feel welcomed and included at the event?
Yes
Somewhat
No
3. Was your family’s home language and/culture represented or celebrated in any way at the event?
Yes
Somewhat
No
Not applicable
4. Did you learn something new or helpful about supporting your child’s literacy at home?
Yes
Somewhat
No
Not sure
5. How would you describe the overall experience?
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
6. What could we improve for future events?
(Short answer)
7. Would you be interested in helping plan and/or contribute to future multicultural events?
Yes
Maybe
Not at this time
9. Additional comments or suggestions:
(Short answer)
References
He, Y., Kroiss, D., & Bernal De La Ossa, R. A. (2025). Networked professional learning communities for multilingual family engagement. Journal of Educational Change, 26, 451–473.
Jeon, S., Lang, S., Garcia, A., Ismailova, A., & Ryu, D. (2026). Integrated relationships matter in Early Head Start programs: Associations with children’s social-emotional competence. Early Childhood Education Journal.
Martinez-Yarza, N., Solabarrieta-Eizaguirre, J., & Santibáñez-Gruber, R. (2024). The impact of family involvement on students’ social-emotional development: The mediational role of school engagement. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39, 4297–4327.
Peltier, M. R., Edwards, P. A., Sweeney, J., Reichmuth, H. L., White, K. L., Rice, D. R., & Castle, A. (2025). Exploring how educators perceive enacting asset-based family engagement. Social Sciences, 14(4), 191.
Ansari, A., & Pianta, R. C. (2023). Pre-kindergarten teachers’ family engagement practices and English language learners’ attendance and early learning skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 63, 1–14
