The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has announced the launch of a community Pinterest page designed to engage educators, students and families in the state.

"The Pinterest page, operating under the handle @PADeptOfEd, will include both original and shared content on boards including, STEM, Music, Art, Reading and Writing, Fitness, College & Career Readiness, Food and Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Educational Apps, Driver Safety, Classroom Ideas, Resources, Crafts, Summer Reading, Back to School, and Quotable Quotes," the Department said in a statement.

School districts--and in this case, whole state departments--often use social media as a way to engage communities through quickly sharing relevant information. In the case of Pinterest, the "thought-sharing catalogue" is a great way to aggregate relevant information for view at anytime.

PDE says the addition of the Pinterest page builds on two years of a successful social media strategy, one that it attributes to the many gains the Department has experienced since.

"PDE has secured historic education funding increases, improved access and equity under the Basic Education Funding Formula, made visits to schools across the state on the Schools That Teach tour, broadened graduation requirements, and earned federal recognition for its work on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)," it says.

If you’re interested in using social media to boost engagement in your school community, check out these related links below:

• Parent Communication: Using Social Media
• Using Social Media: Tips for School Leaders
• Responsible Teacher Social Media Conduct