q ADMISSIONS EVENTS AMBASSADOR
Parent Ambassadors are essential to successful admissions events (Open Houses, Meet and Greets etc) at your school. Parents can help with each step of the process.
You can ask them to:
o Create materials
o Promote the event
o Follow up after the event
Before the event, Parent Ambassadors can:
o Invite friends and family
o Canvass the neighborhood with posters
o Hand out flyers
o Post details to their Facebook pages, Twitter, etc.
At the actual event, Parent Ambassadors can serve as greeters, tour guides, or just mingle with prospective families. Be sure the Parent Ambassadors are easily identifiable with matching shirts, a special pin or something that sets them apart. Following an admissions event, Parent Ambassadors can take part in follow up calls or notes to families who attended the event.
Some questions to consider:
· What admissions events do you have planned for the upcoming school year? If this calendar is not set, set it ASAP.
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· How are you currently promoting? Running? Following up after you admissions events?
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· How can Parent Ambassadors help with each step of the process?
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· Brainstorm events that will draw people to your school? This is not always an Open House. Some ideas might include: Breakfast with Santa, Easter Egg Hunt, Family Fun Night, Literacy Night, Movie Night, Bingo, Game Night, etc.
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· Parent Ambassadors can: promote admissions events in advance of the activity, serve as parent rep at the event, follow up with prospective families after the event - Brainstorm some other ways that Parent Ambassadors can assist with admissions events.
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-ADMISSIONS EVENT AMBASSADOR-
Be Creative! Think Beyond the Traditional Open House
St. Hyacinth School has experienced enrollment growth in recent years. In 2009, they had 119 students and today there are over 180 students enrolled in the school. This success is due in large part to their strong academic programs and their creativity and dedication when it comes to marketing the school. For many years, St. Hyacinth relied on the traditional Open House format, but they noticed that the attendance was consistently low.
AnnMarie Mahay, school Principal and Tatyana Rodriguez, Development Director, decided to change things up. Tatyana writes, “As changes continue within our society, we at Saint Hyacinth have to change to show that we are a leader in education amongst our area elementary schools. We believe the typical 'Open Houses' of years past are no longer a successful way to advertise and sell our school. Schools are more than a building and a walk through for prospective parents…it is, and should be, a search for a lifestyle. Many people consider the search for the perfect school for their children as a purchase similar to purchasing a car or a new home.”
St. Hyacinth decided to move away from the typical Open House. In January 2010, St. Hyacinth held their first Family Fun Night. The turnout was relatively small, only 35 current families came in support, but it showed potential to be great. St. Hyacinth continued hosting Fun Nights and in the 2010-2011 school year attendance tripled. Last winter, St. Hyacinth hosted a Winter Wonderland Family Fun Night that brought in 85 current families and17 new families. Two families from the Family Fun Night signed up their children for the new Preschool classroom that opened in January.
The strategy for Family Fun Night is to have the Student Council meet with the administration and design the events for the students and children from the neighborhood to participate in. They tend to come up with 5-7 different room activities. Some of the rooms in the past include:
. Movie Room-themed around the season or holiday
. Craft Room-themed around the season or holiday
. Game Room -games that can be played with teacher supervision, some are played on the Interactive Whiteboards to showcase the school's technology; or family games like Bingo/Family
Feud/Pictionary/etc.
. Computer Game Room-educational games are played in the computer lab equipped with wireless Internet: This also allows the school to showcase their technology.
St. Hyacinth's vision and creativity in developing Family Fun Nights not only improved school spirit, but also opened the door for more prospective families to visit the school. If your school has been experiencing a decline in Open House turnout, it is time to be creative and think beyond your traditional Open House!
-ADMISSIONS EVENT AMBASSADOR-
Sample Open House Flyer:
Take 3 minutes to reflect on your Open House procedures. Are you hosting four or more admissions events each year? What is your typical attendance? How do you currently promote events? Do you have any “outside the box events? What changes could you make?
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