As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled "Intentional Conversations: Co-Creating Global Family, School, and Community Engagement Research" by Brookings fellow in global economy and development, Emily Markovich Morris.

The more that families, schools, and communities work in partnership, the more students and schools have the support needed to thrive. This lecture explores a school and community-based research study representing education institutions in 14 countries across 6 continents. The project identifies beliefs held by families, educators, and students on the purpose of school, and global barriers to family, school, and community engagement. Surveys and intentional conversations were used to build relational trust and to identify locally-driven strategies that ensure schools and families work in partnership to support students’ learning and development. Key findings illuminate how students are engaged in the process to ensure that youth voices are heard in policymaking.