Recruiting and Welcoming
New Families to Our Catholic
Schools
Watch the Presentation Here!
Password: Saints&Scholars
Recruiting and Welcoming
New Families to Our Catholic
Schools
October 1, 2015
todaysmeet.com/welcomingfamilies
Agenda
• Welcome and Opening Prayer
• Our Mission
• Keys to Successfully Recruiting and
Welcoming New Families
• Case Study: Hispanic Recruitment
Initiative
• Strategies for Outreach and Support
• Questions
Our Mission
“The Church of the twenty-
first century will be, as it
has always been, a Church
of many cultures,
languages, and traditions,
yet simultaneously one, as
God is one – Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit – unity in
diversity.” (USCCB, 2000)
Our Mission
Our Mission
To reach out to and welcome new*
families
•
•
•
•
•
*new
*new
*new
*new
*new
to
to
to
to
to
the school
the Church
Catholic education
the neighborhood
our country
Keys to Successfully Recruiting
and Welcoming New Families
Relationship Building
• Understand Your Community
Demographics
• Build Community Bridges
• Reach Out to and Inform New
Parents
• Build Relationships with all families
through enrollment assistance
Understand your Community
Demographics
• Know your community
• Observe and research demographic
trends
• Identify growing communities
Understand your Community
Demographics
Where to Find Resources:
• MissionInsite.com
• U.S. Census; census.gov
– Topics  Population
• Pew Research Hispanic Trends
Project; pewhispanic.org
• Masses, local stores, and
advertisements
9
Build Community Bridges: WHO
•
•
•
•
Parish Community
Organizations
Municipal Groups
Community Connectors
10
Build Community Bridges: WHAT
• Invite community connectors to
visit the school
• Participate in current events or
projects
• Partner on NEW events or projects
• Share important information and
updates
• Say thank you
11
Reach Out to and Inform New
Families
Constant school presence at churches
Speak at Masses; be present following
Speak to religious ed. classes
Speak to parents individually; ask
pastors and deacons to refer families
• Community fairs and events
• Invite families for tours and special
events
•
•
•
•
12
Build a Relationship with the
Family
• Keep in mind how important “relationship” is to
immigrant families
• Follow up in the families’ preferred language
• Provide language support if necessary
• Explicitly explain parts of U.S. school or Catholic
school culture we may take for granted
• Remind families of important dates and events
• Be accessible
• Be flexible and kind
• Say thank you
13
Identify Key Players in your School
•Who
do families
communicate with
when reaching out to
your school?
•Are they the best
person for this job?
•Which teachers and
staff members are
passionate about
outreach to new
families and
communities?
Provide Translated Materials
• Work with local translation
services
• Translate websites
• Provide translators at large events
• Bilingual Front Office Staff
– Parent Volunteers,
– Google Translate,
– Apps such as Vocre
15
Address Reasons Why Families
Are Not Applying
• Ask families why they do not enroll their
children
– Current
– Interested families that do not enroll
– Survey your parishioners (in English
and Spanish)
• Erase the myths surrounding public and
Catholic schools
16
Case Study: Hispanic
Recruitment Initiative
•
•
•
•
Background
The mission of Hispanic Recruitment
Results
Strategies
The Hispanic Community in
Boston
• 403,000 Hispanic Individuals in Boston
(2010 Census)
• Puerto Rico (29%), Dominican Republic
(24%), El Salvador (9%)
• Percent Hispanic Among Population: 9.9%
• Under 18 Percent Hispanic: 14.5%
• BPS: 40% Hispanic; RCAB: 10%
Latinos are the nation’s largest minority
group and among its fastest growing
populations.
– The Latino population in 2012 was 53
million, making up 17% of the U.S.
population.
– Latino population growth between 2000
and 2010 accounted for more than half
of the nation’s population growth.
Brown & Lopez, 2013
–
19
Hispanic Families’ Relationships
to Education
• Respect for the
Teacher and School
• High Expectations
• Family
Relationships
• Belief that Catholic
Schools are for the
Elite
Successful Outreach
Strategies
• Think outside the box and Build
relationships
• My own strategies
• Show your school pride
• Seek alumni support (parents of
alumni)
• Utilize your parents
Think Outside of the Box
and
Build Relationships
You can build meaningful relationships that will
help you build your school presence in the
community
• Local radio stations – Instead of advertising your school, ask to
talk about Catholic education. Give useful information to the
community.
• Local TV stations – Ask to talk about something that you are
doing for the community. Highlight those students that has done
something amazing.
• Real Estate Agents – Invite them to visit your school, offer a
space so agents can educate your parents about home
purchasing
• Farmers Market - Set a table and talk to anyone that
walks by. Do not sit behind a table and expect
families to come to you
• Local non-profits – Build a partnership with them and
share resources. Ask how they can contribute to your
school and how you can contribute their mission
• Local business – Physically visit them, build a
relationship and constantly invite them to be part of a
school event as guest
• Bring a flyer of your school anywhere you go
• Talk to anyone with kids, ask them where they go to
school and if they are happy where they are.
My strategies when I meet a new family
• 1) They are always late, or extremely early….. but never on time
(expect to meet grandma, aunt, cousins and nieces)
• 2)I ask where they are from. I try to build a relationship and I
often use food to relate to their culture. (ex. Mexican, hot
chocolate – Dominicans – plantains, Cape Verdeans – Tuna
pastels)
• 3)Ask how they have heard about the school? (usually by a friend
or family member)
• 4) I offer coffee (for Hispanics that is the first thing we offer when
someone visits our house) This makes them feel at home
• 5)Give a tour and make sure to ask them if they have questions
(they usually do but they are shy to ask)
• 6) After the tour, make the prices clear, make sure you tell them
that there is financial aid
• 7) Follow up within 2 days. Answer any questions and offer to
help with applications
• 8) Add them on Facebook….
Make new families feel
like they want to be
part of your family and
not just another
customer!
Show Your School Pride
• Ask you teachers to get on the streets with you
and participate in school events. Start a
campaign, a movement. Be proud of your
school and show people that you are a family.
• Encourage your families to purchase school
spirit wear. It is a way of advertising your
school.
• Do monthly games, trivia and other activities
to promote and teach your students and
parents about your school history and culture.
• Celebrate and recognize diversity
Alumni Support
• Invite former students to participate in
school events that are open to the
community. (Open house, international
nights, farmers market, and etc..)
• Invite alumni parents to be part of school
events (show them you have not forgotten
about them)
• Ask your alumni parents to talk about the
school at church and at work.
Your Parents and Students
• Make your parents part of your outreach
efforts. Invite them to participate in all
school events
• Listen and support their ideas
• Involve the kids in your outreach efforts.
Prospect parents like to see them!
• Create a Parent Ambassadors Group to
advocate for your school and participate in
events
Serving New Families
• Understand your students’ backgrounds
• Celebrate Culture
• Provide ELL support
Resources
ColorinColorado.org
PewHispanic.org
• “Helpful Words and
Phrases in Spanish”
• “How to Reach Out to
Parents of ELLs”
• “Lessons Learned from
Immigrant Families”
• “FAQs: Multicultural
Education”
• “Getting to Know Your
ELLs: Six Steps for Success”
• “Hispanics of Puerto Rican
Origin in the United States,
2011”
• “Hispanics of Dominican
Origin in the United States,
2011”
• “US Hispanic Population by
County ”
• “Second-Generation
Americans: A Portrait of the
Adult Children of
Immigrants”
Resources
• ESL Certification Programs
– “15 on the 15” ENL Webinars’ at
enl.nd.edu
• USCCB
• Web Searches and Handouts
– National Hispanic Month
– Our Lady of Guadalupe
– Las Posadas
– National Migration Week
– Oscar Romero
• Megan
Conclusion
“The Church of the
twenty-first century
will be, as it has
always been, a
Church of many
cultures, languages,
and traditions, yet
simultaneously one,
as God is one –
Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit – unity
in diversity.”
(USCCB, 2000)
Megan Adzima – [email protected]
Thauana Moura – [email protected]
Catholic Schools Foundation
Catholic Schools Admissions Collaborative and Hispanic Outreach