What do Alpha School parents say about community building and parent involvement in Miami?

Hi, I'm McKenzie Price, the co-founder [music] of Alpha School. When we began Alpha, I wasn't just thinking about academics. [music] I was thinking about the kind of people I wanted my kids to become. [music] Alpha started with a simple hope that parents could come together and reimagine what school could [music] be. Not just an institution, but a community. And now, as a founding family, you're doing the same thing. families before [music] you in Austin in Miami began just like this and built a culture of belonging in [music] Miami. Those efforts helped grow from six students to 60 in a single year. So now I want you to hear directly from them, the parents who made it [music] happen. Because this isn't just my story anymore, it's ours. I loved starting at Alpha with so few families. I thought it was a really good opportunity for us to get to know each other really well for the kids [music] because it was the first year of Alpha for them to help create what the school was going to look like, what the [music] day was going to look like, create their school rules. That was like a really fun part for the kids. I think believing in Alpha also [music] creates community on its own. And we all just kind of came together and had this wonderful connection from the very beginning. I have to say that being one of the founding families of Alpha at [music] first was a little scary and we had an alpha mom's brunch and [music] when we arrived and I got to connect with the other parents, I realized that it wasn't just a community for my [music] son, it was a community for me as well. The parents are so like-minded. [music] We all have the same values and goals and incentives to further our children's education along. I haven't seen anything like it so far. So, there are really two types of [music] events. There are the school events and there are also parentled events. So, that might be a happy hour or a play [music] date at the park. >> There is obviously group chats where everyone's kind of asking questions. So, I I [music] think prospective parents would find it to be a very welcoming environment. >> Taking the time to meet the parents and to meet with the other kids outside [music] of school was really really helpful and also coming to the events [music] together. We started so small and we were celebrating each other kids victories. We grew closer together. [music] >> When we started meeting a lot of the new families who were going to join for this year, we put together a huge play date at the park. We picked a Saturday. We invited every family [music] existing and knew that we're going to be joining Alpha. And we were like 70 people at the park and the kids were all running around and everyone was getting to [music] know each other and it really felt like Alpha Miami had come alive. There was one particular activity [music] in May. It just all came together and I was there thinking, "Oh my god, this is exactly what I want, not [music] only for me, but for my daughter and this is the type of place that I want to see her grow and excel." [music] So my advice for a family starting at a new alpha location first is trust McKenzie. [music] She knows what she's doing. Also support your guides. They are going to present really big challenges to your children that are going to feel really scary and they're going to come home and say things [music] like, "I can't do it." but support them and encourage them because it's giving them an opportunity for so much growth and maturity [music] that is really important for them. Don't be afraid because this is such a different [music] model that because it's different and it might be new for some people. It might be scary and I understand that anything new is scary but push through the fear because [music] what your kid is going to receive not only in in the education and how much your kid is going to grow is going to be fantastic. What I would say to a new family starting alpha in a new [music] city is to be excited about being an early adopter in the future of education. [music] This is a school that I believe is going to become the norm for education and to have a front row seat in its development is so empowering. It's such a privilege to be a part of a founding family. Here are three ways you can help build up your Alpha community. Create spaces where other parents can learn about Alpha. Organize an event at your home for your friends or parents from your old school and connect your Dina parents or admissions director for a one-on-one conversation. Tell others how much Alpha has changed [music] your kids' life. Parents tell me all the time about that, but it really helps when you tell your network. You can share it on your social media. Whether you have a big audience or a tiny one, it doesn't matter. Parents love hearing about the experience that you [music] are having. Invite others to come to Alpha events. Whether it's a mom's coffee or a test to pass event or a thought leadership talk, [music] there are so many ways to give people a glimpse into the alpha community. Thank you for being a founding [music] family.