Research links higher parent engagement to improved students’ academic achievement and social behavior (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022). Most factors limiting family engagement in NYC schools are rooted in language barriers, cultural differences, socio-economic conditions, and app fatigue.

Parent Playground aims to design for improved accessibility by unifying all virtual and in-person communication between families and schools. We accomplish this by introducing a range of activities, varying in effort level, that promote stronger accountability. Parent Playground measures engagement by integrating itself as a plug-in on existing channels, effectively tracking and translating engagement into redeemable incentives. This concept was co-designed and tested using different research methods with 50+ parents, teachers, and school administrators at PS:31, The William Lloyd Garrison School. This research project was also guided by many Department of Education and NJ Teachers’ Union experts who helped us formulate a better understanding of the landscape.

A few notable features of Parent Playground’s dashboard include a language-inclusive interface, a live scoreboard, a notice board to highlight information across various channels, a school directory, a Password Vault, and a reward store where offerings from local businesses are compiled as incentives. On the School’s end, Parent Playground provides insights into engagement trends that can help inform future events or activities. In the future, we hope to continue building this service by implementing a low-fidelity WhatsApp version of Parent Playground as a longitudinal study before launching it in the market. Parent Playground can be revolutionary in rethinking the way we support the supporters so that they get the time and opportunity to build equitable learning environments for future citizens.

Special thanks to our collaborators: PS:31, The William Lloyd Garrison School, Bronx (for providing access to key stakeholders and school infrastructure).

Studio Instructor
Rhea Alexander 

Designers
Supanit Loharjun
Rhea Mehta
Cut Lakeisha Pradhanitya