Partnerships with parents, guardians, and families are vital to create social and environmental support for youth and reduce tobacco use in the community.
The National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) has identified the following Six Keys to Successful Partnerships (click to expand):
Parenting
Assist families with parenting skills and setting home conditions to support children as students. Also, assist schools to better understand families.
For TUPE: Consider hosting educational workshops that discuss protective factors and parenting techniques to prevent youth tobacco use.
Communicating
Conduct effective communications from school-to-home and from home-to-school about school programs and student progress.
For TUPE: Consider how updates about tobacco-free policies, TUPE activities and cessation resources are shared with families, including opportunities like Open House and Back to School Night.
Volunteering
Organize volunteers and audiences to support the school and students. Provide volunteer opportunities in various locations and at various times.
For TUPE: Consider incorporating opportunities for families to contribute their time and expertise in TUPE-related youth development projects.
Learning at Home
Involve families with their children on homework and other curriculum-related activities and decisions.
For TUPE: Consider incorporating take-home materials into prevention curricula to encourage families to connect with and reinforce the lessons.
Decision Making
Include families as participants in school decisions, and develop parent leaders and representatives.
For TUPE: Consider including parents and families in TUPE Advisory Groups, consulting leadership groups like PTAs and DELACS, and incorporating parent and family feedback into TUPE planning processes.
Collaborating with Community
Coordinate resources and services from the community for families, students, and the school, and provide services to the community.
For TUPE: Consider mapping out local resources that support cessation, counseling, and other services, providing referrals for families, and hosting resource fairs.
In all of the above strategies, ensure that the needs of the underrepresented student and family groups are considered and that health disparity groups have opportunities to participate.
