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 Why a Recruitment Effort is Crucial

 

   
To attract students who can benefit from a voluntary summer learning program, you need a plan. Sending a flyer home or advertising once in the local newspaper isn't enough to reach busy parents. Several factors make an intentional recruitment effort necessary:
  

Many parents and students are not used to thinking of summer as a time of learning.
Voluntary summer learning programs compete with many other programs and activities for the attention of parents.
Voluntary programs require that parents and students choose to attend.
School districts must overcome the negative perceptions of traditional summer school that many parents have.

 

 
59% of school-aged children from low-income families take part in sports, compared with 84% percent of children from wealthier families.
Source: Pew Research Center
Summer learning can help close the opportunity gap.
 
​The Value of Outreach to Low-Income Families

Many public school districts are looking to expand or launch voluntary summer learning programs, especially for children from low-income families. These children can experience setbacks over the summer compared with their more affluent peers. A number of studies have found that students from low-income families learn less during the summer than students from higher-income families.

Students from low-income communities can also face an opportunity gap—they are less likely to have access to the enriching, nonacademic experiences that students from higher-income communities usually have.

Voluntary summer learning programs that offer a mix of academics and fun enrichment activities could help reduce these disparities, potentially leading to better academic and social-emotional outcomes for students from low-income families.

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September is not too soon to start planning your recruitment effort.

Sample Recruitment Timeline As you develop your recruitment strategy, you'll want to create a written plan. Below is a sample timeline to give you a sense of the kinds of outreach activites needed throughout the year. The timeline is divided into four main phases:  increasing awareness in the fall, registering students in late winter/early spring, ramping up registration efforts in late spring, and encouraging students  to show up on day one. The specific activities are all discussed in detail in the Create Your Game Plan section.

Key:
Milestones
Tactics
Winter
REGISTRATION OPENS
Send Materials Home

​Flyers and Registration Materials Should Be Sent Home at Least Twice.

Spring
Registration Event

​Hold a Summer “Fair” Where Parents and Students Can Learn About Your Summer Programs.

REGISTRATION CLOSES
Confirmation Letters

Confirm With Parents That Their Children Are Enrolled.

Welcome Postcards to Students

​Let Students Know You’re Excited to See Them in the Summer.

Reminder Phone Calls

​Give Families Personal or Robocall Reminders Leading Up to Day One of the Program.

FIRST DAY OF SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM

We'll walk you through the process of building your recruitment effort. But if you’d prefer, you can jump ahead and see the range of tactics the districts in the NSLP used.

Case Study

 Case Study
  • Making Course Corrections
    Achieving your recruitment goals often requires course corrections. The Dallas Independent School District and Big Thought decided to take a new approach in response to some eye-opening research findings.
    case study
Summary

Summer learning programs have the potential to increase opportunities and improve outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds. Intentional outreach to these students is critical. Start planning early and involve key stakeholders in the community. Connect with parents early and often to ensure the success of your recruitment effort.

 

Involving Key Stakeholders Early in the planning process, ask yourself this: Who are the people needed to make my recruitment program a success? The answer should include district leaders, such as the chief academic officer or other members of the superintendent’s “cabinet,” who can help push your efforts forward when they hit a roadblock. It should also include central office staff members who directly supervise principals, as well as principals at the schools hosting summer learning programs. The answer will likely also include community partners that provide summer enrichment programming. Bring them in early.