There is a new and easy way to reach out and share ideas with Guilford County Schools. The district recently launched a new, comprehensive community-engagement site, EngageGCS.

The website provides a place for Guilford County parents, students, staff and community members to engage, communicate and collaborate with educational leaders and other residents on the future of education in Guilford County. The website is powered by MindMixer, an online tool focused on creating more meaningful community conversations.

“EngageGCS offers another option for employees, parents and community members to participate in an ongoing dialogue with GCS leaders,” says Nora Carr, chief of staff.

EngageGCS is open right now and includes opportunities to vote on the 2015-16 academic calendar and questions about ways to improve student attendance, improving outreach to faith communities and the traits parents look for when selecting their child’s school.

Expanding engagement is threaded throughout The Strategic Plan 2016: Achieving Educational Excellence: Personalizing Learning. Research shows that students do better in school and in life when parents, families and community members are actively involved in supporting their education. Active community engagement also has a positive impact on educators.

In addition to EngageGCS, the district also has multiple advisory committees and groups, hosts focus groups and town hall meetings, and meets regularly with a wide variety of employee, parent and community organizations throughout the year. Thanks to generous funding from the business community, the district also conducts two annual public opinion polls, one focusing on parents and one focusing on community members. Students, teachers and district employees also weigh in regularly through surveys and other forums.