We provide advice, coaching, development programs and support in the implementation of Family, School and Community Partnerships. We know that when families, schools and communities work together, children and young people’s learning outcomes improve and community capacity is strengthened.

In 2007, Silent Partners Director, Sharon Butler was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to visit the USA and Canada to study “practical strategies that schools can use to assist parents engage in their children’s learning at both the primary and secondary level”. Since that time, Sharon has presented at numerous conferences on both the research underpinning effective family, school and community partnerships and practical ideas that can be implemented to enhance partnerships. She has also supported a range of schools across all sectors in developing and implementing partnership strategies.

In their partnership work, Silent Partners base their approach on the following principles:

  • we work from an asset or strengths based approach
  • we encourage schools to involve families and communities from the outset
  • contextual literacy is critical so that actions are based on real rather than perceived needs
  • we aim to develop the capacity of all partners in the relationship.

In 2011, Silent Partners were awarded the contract to write and deliver the Leading Communities Module for the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership. This program focuses on developing effective family-school and school-community partnerships and explores the role of the school in the development of social capital.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

Silent Partners has a wide-range of experience in the design and facilitation of stakeholder consultation and engagement strategies. For example, we have worked with diverse organisations including those in the homelessness sector (HomeGround, Rural Housing Network Limited Victoria), with Local Learning and Employment Networks (Goldfields LLEN and the Inner Northern LLEN), the Royal Women’s Hospital, and individual school communities either developing and/or delivering stakeholder engagement strategies.

Sharon undertook Future Search training with Marv Weisbord and Sandra Janoff in 1999, and has designed and delivered numerous large-scale participation strategies. One of the more complex was as co-designer and co-facilitator of the Australian Future Directions Forum (2006) where approximately 90 emerging leaders under 40 years of age from various sectors of the community participated in a three day workshop around the theme of ‘articulating a vision for Australia’s future’. The forum was designed using a combination of Future Search and Open Space technologies.