CampusESP

For five years running this has been our most-attended webinar — and 2026 is shaping up to be the biggest yet.

CampusESP now supports **5 million parents and family members every year across 450+ institutions**, giving us an unmatched view into what families open, click, read, ignore, obsess over, and ask for next. And for our **2026 Top Trends in Family Engagement** report, we're pulling back the curtain on the patterns and benchmarks every campus needs to know.

Join us for the parent engagement insights that *actually* matter — and the trends that will shape your strategy in the year ahead.


Top Trends in Family Engagement for 2026

When three quarters of families consider financial aid packages a top factor in their student's enrollment decision and only 1 in 4 find financial aid information easy to understand, communication isn’t optional — it’s make-or-break. Join CampusESP and Liaison to explore how coordinated outreach to families, not just students, moves the yield needle.

You’ll see how:

*   Tailored financial aid communications get parents’ attention (and action)
*   Consistent, transparent updates through a parent portal build trust
*   Tracking engagement gives teams a measurable edge during the decision window


Win Yield Through Family Confidence: Communicating Financial Aid and ROI Effectively

Families aren’t just along for the ride — they’re often the deciding factor in where students apply, enroll, and persist. Join CampusESP, Encoura, and the University of Kansas for an inside look at new research on how families shape the enrollment journey, paired with a real-world example of family engagement in action.

You’ll hear fresh data on parents’ and guardians’ concerns, communication preferences, and decision-making influence. Then, KU will share how they’ve strategically engaged families to improve outcomes, from boosting applications to strengthening yield.

Whether you’re refining your parent outreach strategy or building one from scratch, this session will provide the research, insights, and institutional perspective you need to make family engagement a driver of enrollment success.


From Parent Interest into Enrollment Impact: Research & Lessons from the University of Kansas

Join Flagler College and Miami University (Ohio) for a look at how they transformed their family communication strategies into powerful drivers of engagement and giving.

You’ll walk away with actionable insights to:

*   Build trust with families through transparent, personalized communication
*   Align marketing and advancement to move from connection to contribution
*   Identify high-affinity families using engagement data
*   Create stories and campaigns that turn family pride into philanthropic impact


Why engaged families give more: How connected families drive giving

Behind every first-gen student is a family navigating unfamiliar pressures, questions, and milestones. Join this webinar to see how institutions are breaking down barriers, engaging Spanish-speaking communities, and creating family onboarding strategies that drive student success.


First-Gen Families: Support from Day One

We’ll explore how colleges and universities can cut through the FAFSA confusion by proactively supporting families. From clear communication to deadline reminders, we’ll share practical strategies that help families complete FAFSA successfully so institutions get the data they need sooner, can award aid faster, and **ultimately improve yield and retention**.

We’ll be joined for a Q\&A discussion with **Melanie Muenzer, Chief of Staff for the Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education**, who will bring a federal and policy perspective to this critical conversation.


Cut through the FAFSA confusion: Strategies to support families

Tired of rogue parent Facebook groups? We've been piloting a better alternative with 5 schools and 7,000 parent users. 

On this webinar, the **University of Kansas** and **University of Minnesota - Twin Cities** will share their results and best practices, while the CampusESP team offers a sneak peak at a new feature coming in September that allows you to:

*   Build personalized Discussion Boards based on class year, interests, and more
*   Avoid the headache of parent Facebook groups with built-in AI moderation, vetted human moderators, and other tools that keep the conversation positive 
*   **Improve your communication strategy** by tracking what questions families ask 


First look at our newest feature: Discussion Boards!

The value of AI is instant answers. And soon, instant actions. But what does it *really* mean for you and the future of parent and family engagement? 

Join us for 30 minutes as we cover:

*   **AI 101 (without the jargon):** How we got here, where we’re going, and what all those acronyms really mean.
*   **Training for trust:** Why teaching AI matters, and how it can better support your families and students.
*   **ROI or bust:** The metrics that prove AI’s impact, and what to expect from vendors (yep, even us).
*   **Bonus round:** Live Q\&A lightning showdown between Dave and DaveAI to test whether the bots know parents better than we do.


AI and the future of family engagement

At **Florida Atlantic University**, departments don’t work in silos — they team up to support families from the first inquiry to graduation. Join us to hear how they align goals, messaging, and strategy to turn parents into powerful partners in student success.

**Bring a teammate (or three!) — this one’s all about working better together.**


From recruit to retain: FAU’s blueprint for full-lifecycle family engagement

Couldn’t make it to the 2025 CampusESP Summit? Don’t worry — we got you!

Join our CEO Dave Becker and and VP of Customer Success and Account Management Leslie Gale on for a lightning-fast 30-minute recap of the key themes, strategies, and takeaways from this year’s event.

It’s perfect if you couldn’t attend ... or had such a good time you want to relive the day and get a refresh on what’s next in family engagement.


Everything you missed at the CampusESP Summit (in 30 minutes)

Late summer and early fall are make-or-break moments for family engagement. While students are gearing up for orientation, move-in, and their first semester, their families are looking for information, support, and connection. 

Join us for a conversation on building a strong first impression and setting the tone for long-term family engagement. We’ll explore what it takes to effectively welcome and onboard first-year families — from targeted messaging and expectation-setting to community-building strategies that create connection and reduce melt. Learn how Coastal Carolina University and Texas A\&M are turning new families into lifelong partners in student success.


Peak season playbook: Onboarding first-year families for success

Personalization isn't just a best practice these days — it's an expectation. Just like we assume Netflix will serve us up our new must-binge series, students and parents assume colleges will send them information and reminders tailored perfectly to their needs.

Personalization is also a needle-mover. When your audience gets the info they need when they need it, they take action and you reap the benefits (think applications, acceptances, and deposits!).


The power of personalization in recruitment and enrollment

Orientation leaders share *a lot* of information but families don’t always know where to go once orientation is over.

Take a deep dive into how Florida State University created and promoted the New Nole Orientation Hub: a centralized, digital home for essential orientation resources that families continued to use long after their sessions ended.

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

*   What content FSU included (and what they intentionally left out)
*   How the hub was structured to match how families actually look for information
*   Promotion strategies to drive participation and repeat engagement
*   What families said helped them feel more confident supporting their student


Your New Parent Orientation Hub Playbook

Families can be powerful drivers of Giving Day success, not just as donors, but as advocates and amplifiers. In this session, **Molloy Universit**y shares how a family-focused communication strategy helped power a record-setting Giving Day.

You’ll hear how they positioned Giving Day messaging for parents, segmented and personalized outreach, and identified the channels that delivered the strongest engagement. 

The conversation will explore how connecting appeals to family affinity and impact — along with a few small but intentional changes can lead to measurable gains in participation and dollars raised.

Walk away with practical ideas you can apply to your next Giving Day.
