Bridging the Language Gap: How Two Districts Transformed Their Multilingual Communications

Let’s face it—communicating effectively with every family in your district can feel like an uphill battle. With diverse language needs, limited tech access, and information overload, it’s no wonder many of us are struggling to connect with our multilingual communities.

But what if it didn’t have to be so hard?

In our recent webinar “Bridging the Language Gap: Inclusive Communications for Schools,” we connected with two communication rock stars who are transforming how their districts reach multilingual families. Adam Harris from Arlington Heights School District 25 and Betsy Harris from Weymouth Public Schools shared their journeys, challenges, and practical solutions that have made a real difference in their communities.

The Communication Challenge Landscape

During the webinar, we asked participants about their biggest communication challenges with this poll question:

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to reaching every family with your communications?

• Language barriers and translation tools
• Digital divide/varying technology access
• Inconsistent contact information
• Limited family engagement/response
• All of the above

Not surprisingly, “All of the above” was the clear winner! As Smore’s Director of Education and Engagement, Dr. Kara Stern, noted during the webinar, “The struggle is real for everyone!” This confirmed what we suspected—districts everywhere are juggling multiple communication challenges simultaneously, especially when it comes to connecting with multilingual families.

A Tale of Two Districts: Different Challenges, Same Solution

Our webinar featured two communication leaders from distinctly different school communities:

Arlington Heights School District 25 (Chicago suburbs) Adam Harris, Head of Communications & Storytelling, described a district with moderate language diversity but a significant challenge: reaching beyond the typically engaged families to connect with the other 80% of their community, particularly those who might face language barriers.

Weymouth Public Schools (Massachusetts) Betsy Harris, Community Relations Liaison, represented a highly diverse district with 51 different languages spoken across their community. Their primary hurdles included overwhelming families with too much information, inconsistent formats, and ensuring communications reached their entire multilingual population.

Despite their different contexts, both districts faced a common fundamental challenge: how to create truly inclusive communications that reach all families, regardless of language or access barriers. And interestingly, they both found their way to the same solution.

Solutions That Actually Work

Both districts have implemented strategies that have dramatically improved their multilingual communications. Here’s what’s working:

Arlington Heights’ Winning Approach

Adam’s team focused on:

• Leveraging visual storytelling: Using compelling imagery that transcends language barriers
• Creating multi-platform communications: Meeting families where they are (print, digital, social)
• Implementing website accessibility tools: Including accessiBE for users with disabilities
• Regular check-ins with their Director of Equity: Ensuring communications are culturally responsive
• Tracking engagement metrics: Using data to refine their approach

Weymouth’s Communication Revolution

Betsy’s strategies included:

• Consolidating communications: Moving from multiple emails to streamlined newsletters
• Implementing consistent formats: Creating recognizable templates families could easily navigate
• Prioritizing visual design: Making information visually appealing and scannable
• Focusing on mobile-first design: Ensuring communications work well on smartphones
• Gathering regular feedback: Collecting input from multilingual families about what works

The Smore Solution

Both districts highlighted how Smore has been instrumental in their communication transformations.

Why Arlington Heights loves Smore:

“Smore enables us to communicate with fidelity and keep all of our stakeholders informed,” Adam explained. The platform’s analytics allow his team to track engagement and make data-driven improvements.

How Weymouth leverages Smore:

“We’ve seen improved participation, improved relationships, and improved communication since implementing Smore,” Betsy shared. The ease of translation and visual appeal has been particularly valuable for their multilingual families.

Implementation Timeline: Getting Started

If you’re inspired to transform your own district’s communications, our speakers suggested a realistic implementation timeline:

Month 1: Audit current communications and identify specific pain points

Month 2: Select and set up your communication tools (Smore makes this quick!)

Month 3: Train key staff and create templates for consistency

Months 4-5: Roll out to families with clear how-to guides

Month 6: Gather feedback and refine your approach

The key takeaway? Start small, be consistent, and build from there. You don’t need to overhaul everything at once.

Measuring Success: How Do You Know It’s Working?

Both districts emphasized the importance of tracking results:

• Engagement metrics: Open rates, click-throughs, and time spent reading
• Direct feedback: Regular surveys and focus groups with families
• Participation increases: More diverse attendance at school events
• Two-way communication: More responses and questions from previously disengaged families

“When families who have never reached out before start engaging with us, that’s when we know our approach is working,” Betsy noted.

Key Takeaways for Your District

Ready to improve your multilingual communications? Here are the top tips from our speakers:

1. Prioritize visual design – Images communicate across language barriers

2. Simplify and streamline – Less is often more effective

3. Be consistent – Use recognizable formats and timing

4. Make translation easy and accessible – Don’t bury translation options

5. Gather feedback regularly – Ask multilingual families what’s working

6. Track your results – Use data to guide improvements

7. Leverage the right tools – Solutions like Smore make the process simpler

Ready to Bridge Your District’s Language Gap?

Creating truly inclusive communications doesn’t require a massive budget or a specialized team—just the right approach and tools. As both Arlington Heights and Weymouth have shown, small changes can lead to significant improvements in how you connect with multilingual families.Want to see how Smore can help your district bridge the language gap?

Schedule a demo to see how easy, effective, and engaging your communications can be!