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 to the school

• *new to the Church

• *new to Catholic education

• *new to the neighborhood

• *new to our country

Relationship Building

• Understand Your Community

Demographics

• Build Community Bridges

• Reach Out to and Inform New

Parents

• Build Relationships with all families

through enrollment assistance

Keys to Successfully Recruiting

and Welcoming New Families

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

• “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”

PewHispanic.org

• “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 – madzima@csfboston.org

Thauana Moura – tmoura.csac@gmail.com

Catholic Schools Foundation

Catholic Schools Admissions Collaborative and Hispanic Outreach