Brookland Middle and Patterson Elementary Schools to Graduate from Flamboyan Foundation’s Family Engagement Partnership
March 24, 2025; Washington, DC—Brookland Middle School and Patterson Elementary School are graduating from Flamboyan Foundation’s Family Engagement Partnership (FEP) at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. The two schools, whose teams worked through Flamboyan’s intensive partnership program to ensure their families can play the five roles to accelerate student learning through meaningful relationships, will be honored at the semiannual FEP Community of Practice conference on March 25, 2025, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in Washington, DC.
Brookland has taken a deliberate, strategic approach to family engagement by focusing its relationship-building efforts on its grade six and new students. Because of their intentionality, they have built a strong sense of belonging for students and families.
Patterson has consistently maintained close relationships with its students’ families and has made gains in staying connected to its hard to reach populations throughout the school’s time in the partnership. That dedication is evident in its relationships and academic partnering with families and caregivers.
Both schools have shifted the mindsets of their teachers, with a majority of them agreeing that family engagement is a part of school culture and expectations. Their staff also believes that family engagement is integral to student success, and it is one of their responsibilities to engage families.
“Brookland Middle School and Patterson Elementary School have integrated family engagement into the fabric of their school communities,” says Marci Young, Flamboyan President and COO. “Their commitment to building strong, lasting partnerships with families has created and sustained environments where students feel supported and are connected so that educators and families work together to ensure all students can thrive. We are proud to celebrate their achievements as they graduate from the Family Engagement Partnership.”
“Through the Family Engagement Partnership, our leaders and educators are putting in the work to ensure families are woven into the fabric of their schools,” said DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor, Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. “From their time in the program, Brookland has developed a sustainable way to support parents and caregivers in helping students overcome academic hurdles and take ownership of their learning, while Patterson’s focus on relationship-building home visits has yielded positive connections with families across their entire school community. I am grateful to have Flamboyan alongside DCPS to serve the district’s most valued stakeholders—our young people and their families.”
The Family Engagement Partnership (FEP) is Flamboyan Foundation’s flagship program. Flamboyan supports FEP schools in creating a sustainable family engagement strategy , tapping into expert Flamboyan coaches, training, funding, and access to Flamboyan’s proprietary data platform. FEP schools sustain their own family engagement practices through four phases, from building relationships with families to long-term program sustainability. A family engagement leadership team (FELT) is created to help guide staff through the process.
For more about the Family Engagement Partnership (FEP), visit https://flamboyanfoundation.org/school-partnerships.
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About Flamboyan Foundation
Guided by the belief that all children deserve the opportunity to thrive, the Flamboyan Foundation works to ensure every child in Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico receives an outstanding education. In DC, Flamboyan is accelerating student learning by helping educators and school systems transform their relationships with families In Puerto Rico, Flamboyan is ensuring students are reading in Spanish on grade level by third grade while building a thriving philanthropic and nonprofit sector, which includes arts and cultural organizations through the Arts Fund. Learn more at http://www.flamboyanfoundation.org.