CLX November Meetup: Recruitment Strategies

CLX November 16 Meetup engaged OST youth service providers in thinking about the challenges of recruitment. After the discussion, participants worked in small groups to identify strategies around how to address these challenges. Here are some of the strategies discussed:

Participants discussed the usefulness of creating a database that can guide organizations. The database would list organizations open to collaborating, schools who are looking for OST support, key contacts for community events to promote programs, local businesses open to collaborating, contact with city offices like that of alderpeople, and key Chicago events that would allow for program promotion.

Participants discussed key strategies in program structures that can help drive attendance. Such as flexible attendance policy, virtual program options, ensuring access to food for participants, transportation funds, access to a teen leadership council to advise on opportunities and strategy, parent engagement, paying youth, removing economic barriers for attendance and accessible programs for diverse learners.

Participants also discussed the importance of intentional and continuous communication strategies with the program's various audiences. They identified as a key strategy a well planned social media plan for recruitment, ensuring all materials are concise and direct, listening sessions with experienced stakeholders and circle back for feedback on solutions, and engagement with community beyond the recruitment period.

These recruitment strategies are not exhaustive but they do offer the threads needed to think critically about recruitment.