Creating a School-Wide Culture of Alumni Engagement-Creating a School-Wide Culture of Alumni Engagement

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In the video, Stephanie Reaver-Chu, the Director of Alumni Relations at the Latin School of Chicago, and Teresa Souter, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and School Archivist, discuss the importance of building relationships and communication with the internal community as part of creating a school-wide culture of alumni engagement. They share their experiences and strategies for increasing the visibility of alumni programming throughout the school. They emphasize the need to be present and greet students, create a student-friendly office space, and be helpful to faculty and staff. They suggest being a destination for students by offering a pickup or drop-off spot and attending events. They also recommend creating connections between alumni and students by organizing alumni week, pen pal projects, and alumni panels. They discuss the importance of branding alumni programming and engaging faculty in alumni initiatives by partnering with them in curriculum projects and involving alumni in school events. They also highlight the significance of engaging parents by making alumni visible to them, including alumni events in the parent calendar, and featuring alumni news in school communications. The presenters stress that these efforts demonstrate the value added of the alumni program, enrich student activities and learning, and contribute to long-term alumni engagement and support.

Keywords

alumni engagement

building relationships

student-friendly office space

connections between alumni and students

engaging faculty

engaging parents

alumni visibility

value added