2027 Independent School Brand Summit

Parent engagement is not a series of disconnected events; it is a relationship journey that begins in admission, deepens through development and volunteer partnership, and continues through senior year and beyond.

This interactive session will examine how schools can intentionally welcome new families, strengthen belonging, activate parent volunteers, and cultivate parents as advocates, ambassadors, and philanthropic partners. Dennis Ring and Phil Higginson will offer practical strategies for aligning admission, development, communications, school leadership, and parent volunteer structures around a coherent family-engagement experience.

Participants will explore ways to move parents from attendance to participation, from participation to leadership, and from leadership to lifelong institutional connection. The session will also include a “best of” idea exchange, allowing attendees to share successful parent engagement practices and leave with immediately usable strategies for strengthening parent community and school advocacy.