# 04 — Family, Community Engagement & the Capstone

## Why Family + Community Are Built Into This Course
Leadership doesn't live in a classroom. The students who keep their growth past
June are the ones whose families and community partners *saw* their growth and
asked them about it. We don't add family engagement at the end; we build it in
from Week 1.

---

## Family Engagement Plan

### Week 1
- **Welcome Letter** to families (mail + email + translated into top home
  languages of your roster). Includes:
  - Course outcomes & Leader Profile in plain language
  - Friday Showcase invitation (standing)
  - One ask: "Please tell your student one story this week about a time you
    had to lead something."

### Monthly
- **Family postcard** (digital is fine): "This month your student practiced ___.
  Ask them: ___."
- One **Family-Invited Friday Showcase** per month.

### Mid-Semester (Week 10)
- 5-minute video or written share-out from each student to one family member,
  reflecting on growth. Replaces the traditional progress report.

### End of Semester (Weeks 19–20)
- **Capstone Public Showcase (Week 19)** with families, partners, admin, board members.
- **Leadership Letter ceremony (Week 20)** — each student reads (or excerpts) their letter.

### Tools for Reaching Every Family
- Phone calls before email when possible — especially for the first positive
  contact (do this in Week 2 for every student).
- Translate at minimum the Welcome Letter, the monthly postcards, and the
  Capstone Showcase invitation.
- Offer evening *and* morning Showcase slots; record for families who can't come.

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## Community Partner Network — How to Build One

### Tier 1 — Always Have These
- A **school-site partner** (counselor, athletic director, principal)
- A **district-level partner** (board liaison or community engagement office)
- An **alumni network** of past Leadership students (start a private group Year 1)

### Tier 2 — Build Over Years 1–3
- 2–3 **local nonprofits** (food bank, youth org, library)
- 2–3 **small businesses** willing to host job-shadow or mentor a capstone
- 1 **public servant** (city council member, fire chief, police community liaison)
- 1 **higher-ed partner** (Sierra College or CSU Sacramento education or
  public-service program)

### Partner Asks (be specific — don't ask for "support")
- 30 minutes for a Guest Leader visit
- 60–90 minutes hosting a service sprint
- A real problem they have that a student team can take on (capstone)
- A letter of feedback to a student at the end of the semester

### Partner Care
- Always send a thank-you within 48 hours.
- Always send the Showcase invite.
- Always offer to write a letter of support / thank-you for their funder /
  board / supervisor.

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## The Capstone — Service-Learning Project (Weeks 11–20)

### Phases

| Phase | Weeks | Milestone | Artifact |
|-------|-------|-----------|----------|
| 1. Discover | 11–13 | Form team + choose capstone direction | Team Charter + Decision Matrix + facilitation feedback |
| 2. Define   | 14    | Build delivery plan + timeline | WBS + Gantt |
| 3. Design   | 15    | Pitch proposal + get sign-off | Capstone proposal pitch + feedback |
| 4. Deliver  | 16–18 | Execute | Asset Map + 2 stakeholder interviews + weekly progress logs |
| 5. Demonstrate | 19 | Public showcase | Showcase board / video / live event |
| 6. Debrief  | 20    | Reflect + handoff | Impact memo + Leadership Letter |

### Team Size
- Teams of 3–4. Solo capstones only with teacher approval.
- Roles within team: Lead, Liaison (with community partner), Maker, Storyteller.
  Roles rotate halfway.

### Examples of Past-Style Capstones (use as inspiration only)
- "Freshman First Days" — a peer-led orientation supplement for incoming 9th
  graders, delivered to the counseling office.
- "Quiet Lunch" — a sensory-friendly weekly lunchroom partnership with the
  resource teacher.
- "Voter-Ready 18" — a voter registration drive partnered with the County
  Registrar of Voters.
- "Trail Friends" — a monthly cleanup at Maidu Regional Park co-run with
  Roseville Parks & Rec.
- "Gear Closet" — collecting athletic gear for students who can't afford it,
  with the AD as partner.

### Capstone Guardrails
- Must have a **named external stakeholder** (not just the teacher).
- Must produce something the partner can use **after** the semester ends.
- Must include **measurable impact** — even small (e.g., "12 freshmen attended,
  10/12 rated the session 4 or 5 out of 5").
- Must respect partner time — students email and meet on partner's schedule, not
  ours.

### Capstone Proposal Template (1 page)
1. Partner name & contact
2. Need (1 paragraph, evidence-based)
3. Goal (SMART)
4. Theory of change (If we do X, then Y, because Z)
5. Deliverable & audience
6. Timeline (key dates)
7. Roles
8. Risks & mitigations
9. How we will measure impact
10. Sign-offs: team, teacher, partner

### Public Showcase (Week 19)
- Format: gallery walk + lightning talks (5 min per team).
- Invitees: families, partners, admin, feeder middle school leadership teachers,
  board members.
- Logistics owned by students — they design invitations, signage, agenda, AV,
  and clean-up.
- Teacher's job that night: greet at the door, take photos, write thank-you
  notes by Sunday.

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## Equity Notes for Family/Community Work
- Don't assume internet, transportation, or English at home. Plan around it.
- Honor students whose families work multiple jobs and cannot attend — offer
  recorded Showcase + a family viewing party at school the next week.
- Pair students who feel "alone" in the room with an alum mentor by Week 5.
- Make capstone partners reflect the community — partner with organizations
  serving the languages, cultures, and neighborhoods your students come from.