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Virginia School Consortium for Learning

Together in Partnership: Family Engagement, Positive Relationships, and Thriving Schools

School Administrators, Teachers:  K-12, School Counselors, School Social Workers, Special Education Teachers, Intervention Specialists, Family Engagement Staff

September 9,  September 30,  &  October 14, 2026
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
  • Presented by:
    Ginny Gills
  • Registration Fee (Members):
    $225
  • Registration Fee (Non-Member):
    $250
  • Type of Workshop:
    Virtual Workshop - Online Only

Workshop Details

Join Ginny Gills, retired principal, NAESP-certified mentor, and dynamic educational leader with over 30 years of experience in PK-12 teaching and administration, for an engaging three-part virtual workshop series designed to transform the way schools connect with families. This series is crafted for current and aspiring school leaders, teacher leaders, and teams who are ready to move beyond traditional involvement and ignite authentic, trust-centered partnerships that elevate student success. Across the series, participants will experience a powerful progression—from building genuine trust with families, to cultivating a positive, relationship-driven school culture where staff become confident champions of engagement, and ultimately to leveraging those collective partnerships to create thriving school communities.

Sessions will focus on practical, ready-to-use strategies, real examples from schools, and simple systems that make engagement sustainable. This work not only strengthens connections with families and students, it also supports educator morale, retention, and recruitment by creating a school community where everyone feels valued, respected, and invested in success. With practical strategies and immediately applicable tools, this series will energize your approach to family engagement and equip you to lead meaningful, lasting change. If you are ready to strengthen relationships, shift mindsets, and create a culture where students, staff, and families all feel seen, valued, and connected—this series is for you.

 Webinar 1: Building Trust with Families: The Foundation of Engagement

  • Walking in Their Shoes: Understanding the Hopes, Needs, and Experiences of Families
  • Creating a Culture of Welcome: Every Interaction Matters
  • Communication that Connects: Turning Outreach into Relationship-Building

 Webinar 2: Strengthening School Culture: Empowering Staff as Champions for Family Engagement

  • Building Trust Within: Strengthening Relationships Between Leaders and Staff
  • From Compliance to Commitment: Inspiring Staff Ownership of Engagement
  • Equipping for Impact: Supporting Educators as Confident, Consistent Connectors

Webinar 3: Turning Relationships into Results: Thriving Schools Through Partnership

  • Stronger Together: Aligning Students, Staff, Families, and Community Partners Around a Shared Purpose
  • Making It Stick: Systems and Practices that Sustain Engagement
  • Seeing the Difference: Measuring, Celebrating, and Expanding Your Impact

Audience

School Administrators, Teachers:  K-12, School Counselors, School Social Workers, Special Education Teachers, Intervention Specialists, Family Engagement Staff

Recertification Certificate

Recertification Certificates (5 points) will be given at the end of the PD workshop series after completion of an electronic exit survey.

Presenter

Ginny Gills

Virginia “Ginny” Silveira Gills is a retired Virginia principal, an NAESP Certified Principal Mentor, and a certified Jon Gordon Trainer. A proud Longwood University Alumna, Ginny represents Virginia’s Superintendent Region 8 on the Women Education Leaders of Virginia Board. Additionally, she serves the Southside Virginia Community College Local Board and on the Longwood University Alumni Board of Directors.

Throughout her career, Ginny Gills has been deeply involved in advancing the profession. She previously served on the VAESP Board of Directors and the Virginia Department of Education’s Principal Advisory Board. A graduate of the University of Virginia’s SCOPE 13 program, she was honored with the 2019 VASCD Impact Award, named Longwood University’s Graduate Alumni of the Year in 2022, and recognized as the 2022 VAASL Administrator of the Year. In 2023, WELV named her a Rising Star. Gills is a member of the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, where she served two terms as chapter president.

Her voice has also reached national audiences. Gills was featured as the “In the Spotlight Principal” in the November/December 2023 issue of NAESP’s Principal magazine, and her article, How a Rural, High-Poverty School Keeps Staffing Steady, was published in the May/June 2024 issue. She also shared her insights in the VASCD podcast series Deeper Insights (Episode 6 – “Deeper Voice”), in The Whole Educator podcast Series Exhausted to Energized: Cultivating a School Culture that Retains Teachers (Episode 84), and the Longwood GradCast (Season 1-Episode 1). In addition, Ginny Gills has presented at conferences nationally, including the Innovations in Family Engagement Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the National Family Engagement Summit in Savannah, Georgia.

She has also been a guest speaker at various colleges and universities in Virginia and beyond, where she continues to encourage, mentor, and inspire the next generation of educators and leaders. The Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals has named Gills as the recipient of its 2025 Professional Development Award. The award is presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional contributions to the growth of school leaders, distinguished career achievements, and active engagement in professional organizations and leadership activities.

Before becoming an administrator, Gills was a dedicated high school Spanish teacher in Powhatan County, serving as department chair, NHS advisor, SCA advisor, and an active committee member. She is also an active member of her community where her service to the community has also been recognized with the Mary Gilliam Unsung Hero Award.

Ginny resides in Cartersville, Virginia, with her husband, Ryan.

Workshop Series Cost

The workshop fee is $225 for each participant who is a member of a school division that is a member of VaSCL. You can check here for member divisions.

The registration fee for participants from Non-Member school divisions is $250

If you would like to pay now by credit card or through a PayPal/credit account, you will be given an opportunity to do so below.

If payment is not made by credit card/PayPal account at registration, the person whom you identified as the Billing Contact will be sent an invoice for payment of your registration fee.

Refund Policy

VaSCL has a no refund policy for workshop registrations.

If a participant is unable to attend the workshop please let Alison Dwier-Selden (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) know as soon as possible.

We are happy to allow a substitute to attend in your place. Allison will need to know the person’s name and email address for confirmation.

Registration Information

In the registration form below, required fields are indicated with a red asterisk. Once you have submitted the registration, the person or people whom you have registered will receive a confirmation email (with registration information included) within 24 hours.

Registration Deadline


Friday, September 04, 2026

Registration Confirmation

In the next 24 hours you will receive a confirmation email. Be sure to check for this email as this is what guarantees that you have a spot in this workshop or webinar. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your junk/spam folder. It is also possible that your division technology department blocks some emails from outside organizations.

If you do not receive a confirmation AND it is not in your junk/spam folder, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let her know.  You can also ask your technology department to unblock emails with addresses that end in vascl.org. That will ensure that participants get the communication emails sent to them before the event. 

Contact VaSCL

If you have questions or concerns or would like to receive more information about this workshop, please contact our Professional Learning Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Cancellation Policy

Notification of cancellation of a participant’s registration must be sent by email to Alison Dwier-Selden, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you are able to arrange a substitute, please send the name and email so that confirmation can be sent. VaSCL has a no refund policy.

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If you would like to pay now by credit card or PayPal, you will be provided with a link to the VaSCL online payment portal after you submit your registration.

If you do not pay by credit card or PayPal at registration, the person whom you identify above as the Billing Contact will receive an invoice via email for payment of the registration fee after the conference has been held.

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Together in Partnership: Family Engagement, Positive Relationships, and Thriving Schools
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Virtual Workshop - Online Only
Virtual - Online Only

225.00
250.00