FAMnopoly: Connecting Families, Schools, and Communities to Cultivate Student and Family Success.
Date: 7/21/2026
Time: 4 - 5 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom D (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
ENGAGEMENT–Internal/external stakeholder engagement
Session Description
Family engagement efforts often struggle to move beyond one-time events or surface-level participation. FAMnopoly offers a different approach. Developed by Guilford County Schools’ Family Academy, FAMnopoly is a practice-based family engagement model that combines a monthly family engagement series with school leader tools, responsive communication strategies, and community partnerships to strengthen trust, access, and participation over time.
This session will highlight how FAMnopoly was intentionally designed to support families, school leaders, school staff, and community partners through a shared approach to engagement that is structured, scalable, and responsive to real needs. Participants will explore how a branded, interactive engagement model can function as both a visible family-facing experience and a behind-the-scenes support system that schools can sustain and adapt.
Attendees will gain a behind-the-scenes look at how the FAMnopoly model works in practice through a monthly family engagement series designed to build relationships, practical skills, and family leadership. Each event follows a consistent structure that brings families together through conversation, community partner connections, and coaching experiences where caregivers and students learn and practice strategies together.
Beyond the event experience, this session will highlight the tools and systems that make the work sustainable. Participants will be introduced to the FAMnopoly toolkit, which includes planning guides, family-facing resources, and a school support form that help schools coordinate outreach, strengthen connections, and move from isolated engagement efforts to more intentional, aligned practices.
A key differentiator of the FAMnopoly model is its focus on responsiveness and relationship-building. This session will touch on how intentional follow-up, attention to access, and ongoing family feedback help shape engagement experiences that feel welcoming, relevant, and connected to real needs.
By attending this session, NSPRA participants will leave with:
• A practical, ready-to-use toolkit adaptable for their own district or school communities
• Strategies for designing family engagement that supports both families and school teams
• Examples of engagement tools that promote access, consistency, and shared responsibility
• Approaches for increasing participation through feedback, follow-up, and responsiveness
This session is ideal for communications leaders, family engagement practitioners, and district teams seeking actionable strategies to strengthen family engagement in meaningful, sustainable ways.
Presenter(s)
LaSheka White MPA; CMHC
Director of Family Academy
Guilford County Schools (NC)
LaSheka L. White is a seasoned and dedicated leader with over 20 years of experience in social work, public administration, and family and community engagement. As Director of Guilford County Schools Family Academy, she drives initiatives that empower families and strengthen school-community partnerships to improve student success. Her work includes designing innovative programs, training educators, and building grassroots support to ensure equitable access to resources.
LaSheka’s career spans pivotal roles in social services, foster care, and adoption, where she recruited and trained families, managed complex cases, and advocated for vulnerable populations. She also brings expertise in counseling, having completed clinical internships in bereavement and mental health, providing trauma-informed care and therapeutic interventions.
LaSheka is a trusted strategist and problem solver. She holds a master’s in public administration and a master’s in clinical Mental Health Counseling. Through her leadership and advocacy, LaSheka continues to champion programs that build capacity, foster resilience, and create pathways for family and community success. LinkedIn Profile
Alaria Benton
Program Administrator II
Guilford County Schools
Alaria Benton, M.Ed., is a Program Administrator for Title I Family Support in the Community Engagement & Partnerships Department at Guilford County Schools. She brings over six years of experience in education, including prior service as a Title I educator and Youth Development Liaison. Alaria holds a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and a master’s degree from Old Dominion University. Her work focuses on strengthening family–school partnerships and building community collaborations that support student success. LinkedIn Profile
Wanda Walker
Sr. Executive Director
Guilford County Schools
Wanda Edwards Walker serves as the Senior Executive Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships for Guilford County Schools.
In this position, she provides leadership for a 12-member community engagement team tasked with creating, cultivating, and stewarding family, stakeholders, and community partnerships that support the work of the district and schools. Working directly with families, community partners, and volunteers, the department seeks to align their work with the Strategic Direction focus areas of accelerating learning, recruiting, retaining, and rewarding top talent, strengthening health, wellness, and safety in schools, and preparing students for the world. The team also provides professional learning and development centered on educational equity and works with the Superintendent’s office to inform and engage multiple advisory councils that help transform learning and life outcomes for all students.
Before this role, she served as GCS’ Director of Communications for eight years. Her work focused on increasing enrollment, attracting and retaining the best educators, engaging stakeholders in our schools, and positively influencing public opinion.
LinkedIn Profile
FAMnopoly: Connecting Families, Schools, and Communities to Cultivate Student and Family Success.
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.