A strong connection between parent and family involvement in school is key to ensuring your child's academic achievement, attendance and attitude. In addition, providing parents and students the ability to access school-related information and resources is equally important to academic success:

B.C. parents have always found ways to support their children academically at home. Now they also have a legal right to volunteer in their children's schools, as well as opportunities to participate in other ways.

Volunteering isn't for everyone, but it can be a good way to get more directly involved in your children's education. There are a number of established groups that give parents a voice:

• Parent Advisory Councils (PACs) are the official voices for parents at the school level. If you have a child in a B.C. public school, you are automatically a member of the school's PAC. However, you do not have to actively participate unless you want to.

At the school-district level, parents have a voice in the system through District Parent Advisory Councils.

There are also many volunteer opportunities available in schools. To find out more, please call the school at 604-794-7124