2. Today’s Presentation
Our work for the Wallace Foundation
Challenges for recruitment and attendance
Emerging solutions, promising practices
A primer on strategy development
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3. Summer Learning Project Overview
Wallace Foundation demonstration project
Literature review, expert interviews
Review of marketing materials
Interviews with public school summer learning leadership
Parent focus groups, principal interviews
Application of social marketing principles, research, experience
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4. Recruitment & Attendance Challenges
Recruiting is an unfamiliar activity for public schools
Parents’ attitudes toward summer
Attitudes of teachers & school personnel toward summer learning
Resources
• Planning
• Implementation
• Customer service
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5. Emerging Solutions: Community-Based Approach
Promote behavior change by tapping into the power of
community
Tactics include, but are not limited to:
• Messaging when and where desired action takes place
• Promoting personal commitment and social norming to
support the behavior
• Utilizing trusted messengers and community influencers
• Prompting through highly visible reminders or incentives
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6. Emerging Solutions: Developing a Strategy
A comprehensive outreach plan
• Multiple opportunities
• Easy registration
• Credible messengers
• Existing relationships
• Four phases
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8. Creating an Outreach Strategy
Clarify objectives and goals
Identify and understand target audiences
Identify effective methods for engaging target audiences
Develop positioning and messaging
Create consistent and accessible materials
Strategy before tactics
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9. Phased Approach to Recruitment and Retention
Phase One: Phase Two: Phase Three: Phase Four:
Awareness Promotion Enrollment Period Sign-Up to Day One Duration of the Program
Backpack express High-touch, Parent ambassadors Regular incentives
Parent mailings personalized Door-to-door outreach Robocalls
School and outreach Confirmation letter Phone calls to
community events Direct contact from upon acceptance parents of
CBO classroom, school, CBO Family engagement absentees
assembly personnel events Text reminders
presentations “Walking” outreach Robocalls Reminders from
Incorporate with on-the-spot Text reminders churches and other
messaging into enrollment (parent Personal phone calls faith-based
regular parent ambassadors, door- from summer teachers organizations
communication, to-door outreach)
meetings, events Reaching parents at
School signage key locations
(shopping malls,
after-school care,
bodegas, etc.)
Phone banks
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