Nowadays, people seem to move around a lot. It is quite common for children to move beyond their hometown to attend college or enter the workforce after graduation, settling in a new community away from their high school alma mater. Some may return to their hometowns after some time has passed, while others may not. 

Although this may seem to be the trend, it's important to remember that your alumni community is likely made up of many families who have multiple generations who have attended your schools. Father's Day is a great opportunity to engage all families—especially those who have long histories in your school district community.

Collecting intergenerational stories

During the time around this summer holiday, consider reaching out to your alumni and see if you can get some stories of multiple generations of family members who have made notable achievements while attending your schools. 

For example, you may find that a recent graduate, her father and her grandmother all had perfect attendance throughout their four years of high school. Or, perhaps a father and his son both received all-state honors in basketball. 

Another example may be a family so committed to service that multiple generations can be found volunteering in the community in various ways.

These types of stories can be excellent fodder for your alumni appeal, newsletter and other communications throughout the year. By telling stories, you can bring your alumni community closer together and amplify your level of engagement for the long term. 

As you think about connecting with your alumni this Father's Day, consider the power of intergenerational stories. If you need some assistance in getting started, contact the team at Alumni Nations today.

National Alumni Institute members have access to our annual giving brochure template, which features generational chairs. As Father’s Day approaches, it is a great reminder to showcase your alumni through multi-generations with your annual appeal. Different generational chairs will connect with different audiences and class years.  Having a family chair with multigenerational alums, is a great way to connect to a larger audience. To learn more and access this template visit http://nationalalumniinstitute.org/