Successful Recruitingof Outbound Students

Presented by

Gary D. Aguren

of the

Willowbrook Rotary Club

District 5890

SCRYE Winter Conference

February 7, 2009

Houston, Texas

Three SuccessfulMethods of Recruiting

Presentations directly to foreign language students at high schools

Email messages to high school foreign language department chairs

Packets of information delivered to foreign language department chairs (enough packets so that each teacher can have one)

What has been the success of the club since 2005?

RecruitingPeriod

Long-termStudentsRecruited

Short-termStudentsRecruited

TotalStudentsRecruited

Fall 2004 0 0 0

Fall 2005 2 1 3

Fall 2006 3 4 7

Fall 2007 5 5 10

Fall 2008 13 + 4 = 17 7 + 3 = 10 27

What are the secrets to success?

• A committee of three dedicated members of the Willowbrook Rotary Club, District 5890, Houston, Texas

• The development of a formula• The division of labor

What is the formula for success?

Talking directly to foreign language students in high schools

Sending email messages to and delivering packets of documents and posters to foreign language department chairpersons in 15 high schools in 4 school districts

Developing and using recruiting tools Holding informative parent/student evening

presentations at appropriate locations

How did we get intothe high schools?

The first high school – 2005 The second high school – 2007 The third high school - 2008 Two high schools in a different school district –

2008• Started at the top- Supt. of Schools• Meeting with Supt. and top 5 subordinates• Presentation to curriculum coordinators and directors

of instruction – about 70 key people• Presentation to 150 high school counselors• Invitation from two high schools

What do we do when wego to a high school?

Speak from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to anywhere from 600 to 900 foreign language students

Where – teaching theater or auditorium Who invites us – generally the

chairperson of the foreign language department

What is the formatof our presentation?

Show the RYE video, “Youth Exchange: The Adventure of a Lifetime!”

Power Point presentation on “What is Rotary?” and “What is Rotary Youth Exchange?” (17-20 minutes)

Five minute talk by former short-term outbound student

Five minute talk by current inbound student Ten minute talk by former long-term outbound

student Give “student packet” of documents to each

interested student as he or she exits the auditorium

What is our division of labor?

Lois Alberts:• Send email message to foreign language department

chairpersons• Work with interested schools to schedule our

presentations Anais Watsky – have copies made of all documents sent

to schools and taken with us to the presentations Gary Aguren – contact and schedule former outbound

speakers and current inbound speakers Gary Aguren and Anais Watsky - give Power Point

presentations at schools

Equipment required

Laptop Digital projector Screen (always furnished by venue) External speakers DVD containing video Power Point presentation Device to remotely control slides

Our presentation schedulefor the fall of 2008

Oct. 20 – Klein High School Oct. 21 – Interact Club at Klein Oak H. S. Oct. 23 – Klein Collins High School Oct. 23 – First parent/student night Oct. 28 – Klein Oak High School Oct. 30 – Cypress Ridge High School Nov. 3 - Second parent/student night Nov. 5 - Cypress Lakes High School Nov. 12 – Third parent/student night

Three SuccessfulMethods of Recruiting

Presentations directly to foreign language students at high schools

Email message to foreign language department chairpersons

Packets of information delivered to foreign language department chairs (enough packets so that each teacher can have one)

Email message to foreign language department chairperson

Link to letter

Packets delivered to foreign language department chairs

A RYE poster for each teacher A flyer announcing the next

parent/student night meeting A copy of the “Student Packet” for each

teacher of foreign language A copy of a monthly report letter from a

current outbound

Folder for foreign language department chairs

RI RYE Brochure

The parent/student evening meetings

The same agenda as the presentations to students at high schools

Venue Refreshments Dress code Sign in form Host family recommendation form

Club Interviews

Venue - Nice office with lobby, conference room, and other offices for private conferences and multitasking of the interview process

Schedule applicants at 30 minute intervals

List of questions to be asked Scoring system developed by Ed

Charlesworth, clinical psychologist

Successful Recruitingof Outbound Students

Conclusion