Parents in Adelaide’s inner-west will be able to attend street corner information sessions alongside the school’s vintage caravan, as part of an innovative initiative funded through the latest round of successful applications for 2023 Parents in Education funding.

Parents in Education funding is available each year to government school and preschool communities for initiatives that help parents engage in their child’s learning.

This year $83,000 worth of funding was announced across 22 schools and 4 preschools in South Australia to engage parents in education.

Bowden Brompton Community School received $5,000 funding to increase the opportunities for face-to-face meetings between parents and school staff via street corner meetings. Refreshments will be provided at the school’s existing caravan and enterprise trailer.

The funding will also help provide transport assistance for parents, some of whom live up to 40km from the specialist education school which has multiple campuses, to help support increased parental involvement in the school community’s decision-making.

A range of activities have received funding including a community produce garden at Coromandel Valley Kindergarten, drumming lessons culminating in an assembly performance at Christie Downs Primary School and community cooking workshops at Roxby Downs Children’s Centre.

Up to $5,000 of funding is available for each parent engagement project that helps parents and carers to get involved in their child’s education and support learning at home through positive relationships with schools.

Other initiatives include connecting generations through culture at Airdale Primary School, supporting student wellbeing in senior schooling at Marden Senior College and Families under the Dark Skies at Cambrai Primary School.

Department for Education Executive Director, Support and Inclusion Natalie Atkinson said the Parents in Education funding is a great way or government school and preschool communities across the state to come up with innovative ways to boost parent engagement at a grassroots level.

“It’s always fantastic to see all the exciting and innovative new ways schools are engaging with parents.”

“Empowering parents to support their children’s learning in a variety of ways leads to better educational outcomes and stronger relationships between schools, parents and learners," she said.