The Edmonds School District is offering Natural Leader training this fall aimed at helping families learn how to navigate the education system.

Natural Leaders are multicultural families who want to learn more about the education system to support partnerships between families, community and schools. They are leaders in their community that work as a team with family advocates, family support centers and school staff to: build relationships with families; listen to families ideas on how to help their children be successful in school; and bring families and schools together to plan/implement the families’ ideas.

The weekly training sessions will be available during the week or on weekends:

Training Group A
Saturdays from 8:30 – 10 a.m.
Oct. 17, 24, 31, Nov. 7, and 14

Training Group B
Mondays from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Oct, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9 and 16

This year the Natural Leaders Training is open to both parents/family members and school/district staff. Together they will learn:

• The benefits and principles of the Natural Leaders program.
• How to plan and organize together, while centering the voice of the family.

Parents and staff will also learn separately focusing on different tools. Natural Leaders parents and family members will learn how to:

• Build Natural Leaders teams while honoring diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Train others to be Natural Leaders.
• Be a leader and advocate in the school community.
• Help others navigate the system.
• Support classrooms, students and families during remote learning and social distancing.

Natural Leaders staff will have the opportunity to listen to families strategies while also learning how to:

• Support families in creating strong Natural Leaders teams as part of equitable family engagement.
• Partner with families to meet the needs of those while honoring their expertise of their students, communities and needs.
• Navigate the impact of power and positionality in these partnerships.

Platform for learning:

• Online Training (Synchronous) – Once a week we will have a live, hour-and-a-half Zoom training.
• Independent work (Asynchronous) – In between online sessions, families can work at their own pace to complete activities, think and plan. This is about an additional hour and a half each week.
• Teamwork (Synchronous and Asynchronous) – The last 30 minutes of most sessions will be for teamwork. There will also be time between online sessions to meet in small groups through Zoom.

Training is open to all Natural Leader families who have completed “New Natural Leader” training. A stipend is also available to participating families. District staff may attend but are not eligible for a stipend.

Spanish interpretation is available for families in need.

More info and registration can be found at the district’s website.