Finally, Family Engagement that is More Efficient, Less Work, and Leads to Happier Parents
- How can I ensure I’m reaching all parents as a small/one-person team?
- How can I steer parents from misinformation and ensure they get the right information?
- How can I show the positive impact of the good work I’m doing?
Fortunately, things are changing in parent and family engagement – and Nearpeer, a new platform focused on family engagement, is leading the charge. Dr. Curtis Wright, SVP of Student Affairs at Xavier University of Louisiana, recognizes the power of this innovation. “Nearpeer has created a line of communication that is not contentious. It has built community with our families, and we have been so impressed.”New practices in family engagement are refreshing because the classic approaches like email, Facebook, portals, and newsletters simply aren’t enough in 2022. These classic solutions are hampered by an overall decline in older tech. Gmail is now 18 years old, and email overall is declining as a preferred communication method. Similarly, Facebook peaked seven years ago in 2015, according to the most recent Survey of College & University Parent / Family Programs. Plus, a staggering 75% of survey respondents report that they are dealing with misinformation spread across unofficial “rogue” Facebook sites and other similar social media pages.
At long last, Nearpeer’s new service provides an effective, efficient, and more modern way to engage parents and families directly on their mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Nearpeer for Parents and Families is a first-of-its-kind solution: a private, invite-only space where parents can connect with other parents at their student’s college. Together, they create a network of support and resources amongst themselves.
“The parenting in [Nearpeer] where everyone communicates and shares their knowledge – I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s amazing to me.” - Tomiko, Parent of Student in Class of 2025
Parent and family professionals have been looking for an instant way to communicate with families, and Nearpeer is serving as the “one source of truth” that university administrators have been looking for. Nearpeer is an effective way to keep families informed and share important deadlines, upcoming events, web links, campus alerts, and more. Do you worry about parents not opening your emails? With Nearpeer, messages reach parents via push notification to their phones, maximizing read rates for your most important communications. And, there’s space for lots of virtual groups within a single app. Q&A groups, groups by geographic region, and groups by affinities are some of the most popular among parents and families using Nearpeer. For example, at Xavier, groups such as Financial Aid Questions, First-Time College Families, Families of Athletes, and Families of Students Living On Campus are consistently active. Over 90% of the activity on Nearpeer is by and between parents and family members, amplifying the messages you send (while simultaneously reducing your workload).
“Nearpeer has been a godsend.” - Sicily, Parent of Student in Class of 2026
An added benefit of launching Nearpeer is that it provides a quick and simple way to shore up your database with updated parent and family contact information. Since families accessing Nearpeer sign-up with their email address, there is an immediate flow of new and updated contact information to your school.
Special pricing is available for AHEPPP member institutions, and Nearpeer can be launched in less than five days. This type of intervention is particularly appreciated in a time when many are operating with limited staff, reduced budget, and greater expectations than ever – especially with Family Weekend on the horizon.
To learn more, visit nearpeer.com/family.
To watch a three-minute video overview of Nearpeer for Parents & Families, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTGL6qRP-I8
-Nearpeer