This story was published by a Voices of Change fellow. Learn more about the fellowship here.
At Guilford Preparatory Academy, a K-8, Title 1 public charter school in Greensboro, North Carolina, our students and families bring a rich mix of resilience, culture and commitment. Being a Title 1 school means some of our families face barriers in technology access, time and academic resources for students. But that has never defined us. What defines us is how we keep showing up for one another with love, creativity and strength.
When the pandemic hit, our world changed overnight. Our PTA paused its events, programs were canceled and the connection between school and home started to fade. As the technology teacher, director of technology and the PTA parent teacher liaison, I was in the middle of that gap where technology and family engagement were needed. I became the go-between for teachers and families. I listened. I shared. I stood in the space between what was missing and what we needed to rebuild.
I asked myself, “How do we make schools feel like places where families belong? And how can technology help us open that door?”
That is where Jaguar Jam came in. Launched in the spring of 2023, PTA president Shanita Swann believed this event could be the perfect opportunity to bring families back into the heart of the school while honoring and celebrating our teachers after the challenges of the pandemic. She wanted to lift spirits, rebuild family relationships and remind our staff that they were seen, valued and not alone. We decided to use technology to help bring that vision to life and reconnect our school community in a meaningful way.
Through Jaguar Jam, I watched technology become more than a classroom tool. It became the way we kept relationships and the school community alive.
On the day of Jaguar Jam, the school comes alive with stations and spaces that celebrate learning, connection and joy. Classrooms, hallways and outdoor areas are transformed into interactive zones where families can explore, participate and grow together. From creating digital sign-ups to sending out live updates and sharing gratitude posts through school communication tools, we made it easy for families to join in from wherever they were.
Our gym transformed into a space filled with energy and creativity. Vendor tables line the walls of the room; a few were run by local businesses, but the ones that drew the most attention were led by our own students. I stopped by one table where a middle school student proudly presented phone cases she designed using digital technology tools. She smiled widely and said, “I made this!” Her mother stood beside her, not just watching, but beaming with pride and joy. At another table, a fifth grader spins cotton candy from her own machine. She explains how she tracks each sale using a budgeting app she learned in technology class.
Down the hallway, the “Ready, Tech, Go” session is in motion. Twenty-five families receive free laptops along with coaching on how to support learning at home. During this session, parents ask how to access their students’ homework portals, learning apps and digital classrooms.
In the technology classroom, I visited a resume workshop. Parents sit at desktops provided by the school, learning how to create resumes, build digital profiles and navigate job platforms. The room buzzes with discovery as parents lean over screens, ask questions and share small victories with one another. Since this workshop, six parents have secured full-time jobs. One parent who said that a past mistake would keep her from ever finding stable work now holds the highest-paying job of her life.
All of our teachers and teacher assistants participated in full, not as staff members working an event, but as community members invested in every family who walked through our doors. Our school board members joined us throughout the event, greeting families and showing up with support.
Technology helped transform Jaguar Jam into more than just a celebration or a fundraiser. It was one of the first steps in rebuilding trust and connection between teachers, students and families after the pandemic. Over the course of one day, technology that was once viewed as intimidating empowered families and students to confidently step into digital learning. It reminded our families that we are in this together.
Jaguar Jam is a strategy and a model for how Title 1 schools — and other schools, in general — can use technology to shift culture by inviting families into the school’s heartbeat.
We cannot change outcomes without changing how schools see family engagement. Family engagement is not a program; it is a promise. It is how we build trust, show respect and keep the door open for every parent, guardian and caregiver to take their place in a child’s learning journey. Technology helps us reach families where they are and celebrate students in ways that travel beyond the classroom walls. When families are fully seen, fully valued and fully connected, schools do not just improve. They transform.
