Adult Education: Additum
Student Recruitment
One of the resources that Pastor Brohn recommended was the proliteracy.org website. Although not intended for religious instruction specifically, the research reports at ProLiteracy have applications for our education hours at church. Here are just a few excerpts from the report on Student Recruitment:
Learn about potential learners’ motivation and goals
Learning more about potential and current program participants’ goals and why they would consider enrolling in a program can help staff better understand potential learner populations and focus recruitment campaigns on relevant goals. Current participants can provide insight into ways to recruit others with similar backgrounds and ambitions.
Utilize word of mouth
Fostering interpersonal connections between learners and potential learners is one of the most effective ways to recruit. When adult learners share stories about program involvement, positive experiences, and benefits, potential learners often feel more comfortable and motivated to enroll.
Diversify marketing campaigns
Campaigns should establish program identity and clearly show potential learners how services can help them to get started and to achieve their educational and/or employment goals . . . . Use of flyers, social media, and/or emails/texts is recommended. Employing multiple marketing strategies can help programs maximize their reach.
Address potential participation barriers
Students may be more likely to enroll and sustain participation in programs when needs are met and barriers are addressed. Recruitment materials should reflect this effort to understand and address barriers. [Potential barriers include the] situational (e.g., health conditions, transportation, childcare), dispositional (e.g., self-perceptions, attitudes), and institutional (e.g., program schedule, formats for instruction, etc.).
If you’d like to read the full report, it can be found here.
