4 Key Ways to Build Relationships for Auxiliary Success

When Audrey Hampton was hired to head the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools' auxiliary department, she felt it was "like starting a fresh program from the ground up." It was August 2020 and people were just coming back to campus after COVID. As a new hire, she knew she had to get people on board with all the changes that were coming with auxiliary.

Fortunately, Audrey started her career as a school psychologist, and building relationships is at the core of her work. The Lab School auxiliary programs serve about 640 students each school year with 70 staff and their summer programs host 900 students with 160 seasonal employees. Her department has nine 12-month employees and they generate over $5 million in gross auxiliary revenue each year.

While revamping the auxiliary department, Audrey hired SPARC advisors to visit and consult to make the most strategic plan possible. "They really helped me recognize the need to lean into the 'Lab' brand," she says, which helped align the programs in their purpose and streamline how that purpose was communicated to families and the community. 

In the most recent session of SPARC's After School Jumpstart series, it was Audrey's turn to help the SPARC community by sharing her experience and wisdom. She discussed how auxiliary leaders can reach out to families, faculty, and other school departments to create vital connections to help programs grow and thrive. Here are four key takeaways from her session to help you start building relationships now.

School: Identify Who Can Help You

• Develop a sense of political acumen. "Ask yourself, who gets the job done here? Who do I need to talk to that's really going to help me accomplish X, Y, Z? Who can help me drive change?" And be aware that the people who can help may not be the people you think.
• Show up to events. Don't wait to be invited. "Show up where you may not be expected. Do a lot of observing, a lot of talking." Show up in places people might be surprised to see you.
• Be proactive in pursuing informal channels. Invite people for coffee or lunch and be curious about them, Ask how long they've been there, what they've experienced, and who has helped them. Listen and share.

Families: Establish Trust

• Invite families into the space where their kids spend their time. Audrey says that at first, families didn't feel the same trust or comfort with the after school program as they did with the day, even though the students were using the same space. After COVID restrictions lifted, she welcomed them to come into the space, especially during pick-up. 
• Be a presence at school events such as open houses. Be available for questions and concerns.
• Be proactive and transparent with communication. When there's an issue with a student, Audrey's team sends an e-mail immediately to families, often before the student even gets home. They invite parents to discuss the issue further if they like. When families reach out, often their first words are, "Thank you for letting us know."
• Communicate frequently about what's happening in your programs. Use a lot of photos. In addition to a newsletter, Audrey's team posts regular updates with photos on their Extended Day Hub.

Faculty: Create and Nurture Connections

• Focus on faculty who can help. Each year, Audrey's staff chooses one faculty member to really build a solid relationship with, someone connected and outspoken. "It has made a big difference."
• Attend grade-level faculty meetings to be seen and get to know people.
• Include faculty in the newsletters that go out to families. This "helps alleviate the conflict between what faculty thinks auxiliary does and what we actually do."
• Invite faculty to participate in professional development activities with auxiliary staff.

Administration: Foster Communication and Build Partnerships

• Teach your team that a positive relationship with admin is crucial to the smooth running of auxiliary. "Admin is really big in relationship building."
• Understand how the organization is set up and whom you can meet with regularly. Meet formally and informally with admin team members.
• Get involved with admin by attending their meetings. Audrey is now "a part of every admin team."
• Welcome admin to join in professional development with the auxiliary team.

When building these relationships, Audrey stresses the importance of being strategic and intentional. Be transparent, communicate, show up, and create the partnerships that enable auxiliary and the whole school to best serve students and families, be successful, and thrive.

Whether you work in after school, summer programs, or any facet of auxiliary work, SPARC is here with valuable professional development resources such as webinars, tools, regional events, and community support. Get more info and join us today!