Why Host a School Choice Event
Hosting a school choice event can have a great impact on your community. These celebrations can make all the difference in a family’s educational journey, offering parents the chance to explore your school, ask questions, and compare personalized options. For current families, students, and administrators, it’s also an opportunity to showcase what makes their school unique and why they love being part of your community.
From school fairs to open houses, these events provide invaluable insights into what schools have to offer. Schools and organizations nationwide are finding creative ways to raise awareness about the educational options available to families in their neighborhoods.
The Importance of Hosting Events
Hosting events like school fairs, information nights, or campus tours enables schools to connect with families more personally. These events help build relationships, allowing parents and students to engage with school staff in a relaxed environment.
Each event provides a platform for schools to showcase their unique programs, extracurricular activities, and curriculum, giving families a firsthand understanding of what each school has to offer.
Scroll through below to see how schools and organizations nationwide are hosting fun and engaging school events in their communities!
Showing School Spirit
Classical Conversations of Souderton, Pennsylvania held a school spirit week filled with fun dress-up days, including “dress like a teacher” day.
Makayla Marie explains:
“We basically did a spirit week; Monday was dressed like a teacher day, Tuesday was wacky hat day, Wednesday was dress like a hero day, Thursday was throwback Thursday where they dress like they were born in the ’90s, and Friday we celebrated each other for National School Choice Week.”
Hampton Lane Child Development Center in Towson, Maryland celebrates School Choice Week with daily activities that promote school spirit and cohesiveness.
Lisa Roberts shares:
“We love celebrating School Choice Week because it really generates a sense of pride for our school and builds school spirit and cohesiveness. Our parents love seeing the photos we post every day showing the activities we are doing to celebrate School Choice Week.”
Engaging Families Through Fun Activities
Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School in Koloa, Hawaii brought students and families together for a Jog-A-Thon as part of their School Choice Week celebration.
DJ Adams explains:
“Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School held numerous events to celebrate School Choice Week 2024 which culminated with our annual Jog-A-Thon. We enjoyed a perfect day of weather which allowed our entire school and learning community to come together in this fun physical activity.”
At Paterson Arts & Science Charter School in Paterson, New Jersey, themed dress-down days and the National School Choice Dance were central to their celebrations.
Mr. Vasilios Ikonomidis shares:
“At our school at Paterson Arts & Science Charter School Primary, we host fun themed school spirit dress down days each day of the week during School Choice Week. Students complete fun assignments such as why they love our school and create posters which are hung in our hallways. All students practice and then perform the National School Choice Dance in their Physical Education class. Pictures and videos are taken throughout the week and shared on our school’s Facebook page.”
Connecting with the Community
Flowers Homeschool in Lima, Ohio organized a community event with school supply giveaways to inform families about school choice.
Eddie McCiskill says:
“For our school choice event we held a public event at WOFB. It went great; we helped to spread the word about the importance of school choice and gave away school clothes and supplies that were donated to us for it. We had a lot of fun with our community and informed a few people about the right to make the choice for what is best for each child individually.”
Kenosha Lutheran Academy in Kenosha, Wisconsin held a school assembly and basketball halftime show to celebrate School Choice Week.
Mrs. Jill Hagedorn explains:
“We celebrated with a week full of activities. We had spirit week dress up days. We also held a school assembly where we had a “dance party” and performed the School Choice Week dance. Our students also performed the dance at halftime of our home basketball games. The basketball game halftime event had a great turnout. We had many of our school families attend the game and cheer on our teams. Our school has 2 campuses, so it was a positive way to get our younger and older students working together!”
Giving Back through Service
Redeemer Lutheran Church and School in Salt Lake City, Utah hosted a spirit week and a service project to assemble lunches for a local shelter.
Janet Johnson shares:
“We do a family game night. Choirs sing at church. We do a spirit week with dress up themes such as pajama day or mustache Monday. We [also] do a community service project such as assembling lunches for The Road Home.”
Invested Youth Christian Leadership & Educational Farmstead in Valparaiso, Indiana used School Choice Week to engage in community service by cleaning roads and helping a teacher with yard work.
Monica Evans shares:
“Invested Youth Christian Leadership & Educational Farmstead (IYCLEF) utilized the week to show neighborly love, cleaning up the side of the roads in our community. In addition, students and their families went to one teacher’s home, who had a premature baby, to help her and her hubby out by doing the yard and tidying up as well; this modeled to the community how we are a family-centered educational space. Lastly, we hosted firefighters, police and EMS to share with us career choices, and they taught us CPR & Fire Safety. These opportunities helped build our school culture of Christ love and allowed us to share our culture of Christ love to our community.”
Fostering a Positive School Culture
Pepin Academies in Tampa, Florida hosted open house events featuring guided tours and Q&A sessions for prospective parents.
Christina Diaz explains:
“We held prospective parent open house events across all our campuses! The events featured a presentation with detailed information about our schools, guided campus tours, and a Q&A session with current students and parents. Attendees also enjoyed refreshments prepared by our culinary students and received swag bags. It was a fantastic opportunity for families to learn more about our schools and make informed decisions about their school choice options.”
Detroit Service Learning Academy in Detroit, Michigan used School Choice Week to highlight their school’s strengths through interviews with teachers and students.
Kevin Dargin explains:
“Service Learning Academy had a wonderful program/event for our School Choice Week. We interviewed teachers and students on how much they love the school. The event we did really gave us some exposure to get other students enrolled.”
IYCLEF has transformed the experience for students like Brandon Reffitt’s daughter.
Brandon Reffitt shares:
“It’s a blessing I have the opportunity to send my daughter to IYCLEF. This is the first time in five years she has come home smiling from school and not crying. She’s excited to go to school the next day and it makes my heart happy.”
By organizing an event, you’re not only celebrating education but also helping families navigate the journey to find the right educational fit for their child. Whether it’s a spirit week, community event, or dress-up day, hosting an event can empower parents, engage students, and show your school pride.
Would you like to celebrate your teachers, staff, and students during National School Choice Week? Sign up for a free Activity Packet through our form and participate from January 26 – February 1, 2025. Apply for our All Star Program to receive an extra kit of supplies as well as one-on-one guidance and support, promotion of your school’s celebration on our website, and access to exclusive Zoom sessions hosted by our team. Supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis.