Engaging Families and Communities

Centering multilingual learners, families and communities in our work

For multilingual learners to truly thrive, their voices — and the voices of their families and communities — must be at the heart of our work. Meaningful, culturally and linguistically sustaining family and community engagement is not an add-on. It is essential for promoting students’ identity development, learning and belonging.

In this video, discover what meaningful engagement looks like — directly from multilingual learners, families, community members and educators.

Centering Voices Video Transcript

families and teachers working on craft projects around classroom tables — At a local museum, a mom and her two children work together on a craft project based on the book We Are All Connected: Caring for Ourselves and the Earth. Other families and educators from their school also participate.

ABCs of Family and Community Engagement

The ABCs are six key considerations that are essential for strengthening family and community engagement practices: Awareness, Advocacy, Building Trust, Breaking Barriers, Collaboration and Connect to Learning.

The ABCs of Family and Community Engagement includes an infographic that provides a visual representation of all six ABCs as well as look-fors to identify evidence of the ABCs in your context and ideas for future action.

The ABCs of Family and Community Engagement: Key Considerations for Centering Multilingual Voices offers a brief synthesis of literature and reflection questions for each of the six ABCs.

ABCs in Action

Choose an ABC of Family and Community Engagement to explore further.

More information on Breaking Barriers, Collaboration and Connect to Learning will be included here in Spring 2026.

teacher looking in mirror — This illustration represents awareness in two ways. An educator looks into a mirror and sees their own image, representing building awareness of self. They also see a family member, school bus, buildings, a field, and the word, “Hola” to represent building awareness of the multilingual families and communities in their context.

Awareness

Awareness involves ongoing reflection on the unique identities and experiences of the multilingual families in your context and having a critical understanding of historical and current systems-level issues.

Engage with the Awareness in Action WIDA Snapshot to explore videos, tools, resources and information from the field to inform your actions.

Awareness in Action Snapshot

families and teachers at a school info fair — This illustration represents the advocacy. Families are at a school-community resource fair learning about a variety of opportunities for advocacy including promoting the Seal of Biliteracy, joining a Bilingual Parent Action Committee, and signing up for advocacy training.

Advocacy

Advocacy involves promoting multilingual learners’ and families’ right to access language, learning, and other opportunities.

Engage with the Advocacy in Action WIDA Snapshot to explore family-, community- and educator-informed tools, resources and learning opportunities.

Advocacy in Action Snapshot

illustration of teacher and family at a table together — This illustration represents building trust. Families and educators are sitting at a table for a coffee chat – an opportunity for everyone to share food, tea and coffee, get to know each other, and share ideas.

Building Trust

Building Trust involves developing and sustaining trusting relationships with multilingual learners and their families and communities.

Engage with the Building Trust in Action WIDA Snapshot to explore more family-, community-, and educator- informed resources.

Building Trust in Action Snapshot

Resources to Share With Families

Letters and handouts in several languages explaining WIDA ACCESS and WIDA Alternate ACCESS

List all letters and handouts

Handouts and guides in several languages explaining WIDA Screener and WIDA Alternate Screener

List all handouts and guides

Family Connections Through Home Languages (flyer in several languages)

List all family connections flyers