Based on an interview with Aditi Kumari, Digital Strategy Coordinator, Marketing and Communications Department at Eden Prairie Schools in Minnesota

At a Glance

Eden Prairie Schools serves nearly 10,000 students in PreK through age 22 across 11 schools in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. A suburban district with a richly diverse student population, 51% of Eden Prairie Schools students identify as people of color, and families speak over 90 languages at home. 

Why Eden Prairie Schools chose TalkingPoints for family engagement

For Eden Prairie Schools, TalkingPoints has become more than just a communication tool — it’s a way to strengthen relationships with families and ensure every student feels supported.

• Focus on positivity and student well-being: Teachers regularly use TalkingPoints to send encouraging updates, highlighting student progress and celebrating achievements. This emphasis on positive communication helps build trust with families and nurtures student confidence.
• Texting that drives results: The district has found that families are often more likely to respond to text messages than to emails. Whether it’s reminders about upcoming events or requests for feedback, texts help ensure families stay informed and engaged.
• Language support that connects every family: With built-in translation, TalkingPoints makes it possible for families to receive messages in their preferred language. This not only removes barriers but also fosters genuine two-way communication between educators and caregivers.

Discover how schools and families can support student success together:

Listen to Episode 01 of TalkingPoints: The Podcast.

Eden Prairie’s results: Family engagement before and after TalkingPoints

When asked to compare the district’s family engagement efforts before and after implementing TalkingPoints, Ms. Kumari didn’t hesitate to say that TalkingPoints had a big impact. 

They haven’t just used the platform, however, they’ve used it well–with purpose. 

When we think about TalkingPoints, we think about serving our current families,” says Aditi Kumari. “It’s a communication service tool for families. One feature we value is how seamlessly guardian data flows into the system. For example, a student may have split households with both primary and secondary guardians, and all of those contacts are accurately connected to that student. This ensures the right information reaches everyone who needs it. And in their preferred language!”

See TalkingPoints in action—watch a 90-second explainer video.

Tips for schools: How to maximize TalkingPoints for family engagement

• • Lean into reminders. Don’t just send one big announcement — quick text nudges a day before events significantly boost turnout.

  “If we have an event scheduled several weeks in advance, we send a reminder closer to the date—typically the day before—with a message such as, ‘We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.’ Providing timely reminders keeps the event top of mind and allows families to better plan their day.”

  • Use it for positivity, not just notifications. Encourage teachers to send praise and encouragement; it keeps families engaged and makes tough conversations easier later. Features like Quick Kudos make it quick and easy for teachers to support students.
  • Communicate in different ways to ensure your message is heard. Video messages from principals and district leaders helped make communications feel more human. 

  A tip from Eden Prairie Schools: An “I can’t wait to meet you” video message from principals over the summer helps to retain incoming kindergarten families and get them excited for the school year! During the year, attaching pictures from school can help families feel more connected to what’s happening on campus.

  • Segment your outreach. Filtering by grade, class, or student group makes communication more relevant and easier for families to act on.

  For example, during course selection time, we may only need to reach rising sixth graders. With TalkingPoints, we can simply send a message to all fifth-grade families at the elementary level, which makes the process much easier.

What’s next: Eden Prairie’s future with TalkingPoints

Eden Prairie Schools is building on this momentum and is excited to try TalkingPoints’ new tools this school year.

Want to bring TalkingPoints to your district? Let’s talk.

Celebrating 10 years of partnership and impact

For a decade, TalkingPoints has supported students, families, and educators through the power of effective family-school partnerships. As an education technology nonprofit, our award-winning communication and family engagement platform has improved outcomes for districts and students across the country.

We connect 9 million+ educators, students, and family members annually and have facilitated more than one billion conversations—building trust, fostering relationships, and fueling student success. Named by Common Sense Education as “the best overall family communication platform for teachers and schools,” TalkingPoints drives measurable gains in attendance and academic achievement, backed by rigorous, causal research.

Join us in building a future where every child has the support they need to thrive.