The EdVenture Group, in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Education, proudly congratulates the 2024 Leaders Investing in Family Engagement (L.I.F.E.) cohort. In December 2024, 60 school leaders from across the state of West Virginia completed the West Virginia Family Engagement Center’s (WVFEC) Engagement L.I.F.E. Program. This cohort represents 21 schools across 12 counties.

The L.I.F.E. Program is designed to enhance leadership capacity, foster effective family engagement strategies, and build strong, connected networks of support for leadership. Participants met virtually the first and third Tuesday of each month from October to December, while completing a recorded session in-between. On the first Tuesday, they engaged in a content session centered on evidence-based leadership and family engagement topics. On the third Tuesday, participants joined together to collaborate in pods (breakout groups based on elementary, middle, and high school). These pod meetings enabled leaders to share insights, brainstorm solutions to challenges, and explore innovative ways to implement family engagement strategies. Through these collaborative sessions, participants worked together on activities that not only helped apply their learning but also served as a platform to develop actionable steps. This really showcases how the pods bring everything together—fostering collaboration, problem-solving, and concrete action plans that can be directly applied to enhance family engagement in their schools.