Fellows Create Tools to Improve Communication at Allegheny County School

A team of fellows from Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) has designed new tools to strengthen communication and relationships between families and an Allegheny County school. 

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This past year, a team of fellows from LSX - a problem-solving platform focused on transforming education by applying the science of learning to help children thrive - took part in listening and feedback sessions with parents to design the tools. The fellows included two principals, a researcher, a journalist, an assistant superintendent, a social entrepreneur, and a children's book author.

At Duquesne Elementary School, caregivers had been seeking support for a variety of needs, from housing and transportation to child care. In response, the LSX fellows team designed an interactive map of community resources that was translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Pashto, which are the most commonly spoken languages by English learners at the school.

The map includes a QR code that families can scan to access the community resource links, phone numbers, and directions. 

A 2025 blog post titled “Designing Tools to Strengthen Communication and Relationships Between Families and Schools” described the fellows’ process in designing the map. It discusses how the project brought together individuals from typically siloed fields to build education solutions, and how the project was grounded in ideas raised by caregivers who had critiques and suggestions for improving communication. 

The completed project can be accessed on the Duquesne Community Support Maps website.