The document outlines a summer learning project conducted by the Wallace Foundation that involved reviewing literature, conducting interviews, and applying social marketing principles to address challenges with recruitment and attendance for summer learning programs. It identifies common challenges such as recruiting being unfamiliar for schools and attitudes of parents and teachers toward summer learning. Emerging solutions discussed include taking a community-based approach through trusted messengers and social norms, developing a comprehensive outreach strategy in four phases, and taking a tactical approach involving high-touch outreach through principals and community partners. The document advocates creating an outreach strategy with clear goals and understanding target audiences before developing tactics and materials.

1. Title Slide

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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7. Emerging Solutions: Tactical Approach
 High-touch personalized outreach
• Principals, in-school personnel
• CBO partners
 Supported by broader marketing to parents
 Structured engagement strategy after enrollment
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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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10. Managing for Effective Outreach
 Needs of recruiters
• Talking points
• FAQs
• Presentation materials
• Tactical guides
 Support, technical assistance
 Feedback loops
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11. Questions and Comments
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