Successful Recruiting of Outbound Students

1. Successful Recruitingof Outbound Students Presented by Gary D. Aguren of the Willowbrook Rotary Club District 5890 SCRYE Winter Conference February 7, 2009 Houston, Texas

2. 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)

3. What has been the success of the club since 2005?

4. 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

5. What is the formula for success? • Talking directly to foreign language students in high schools • Sending email messages to anddelivering 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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 formerlong-term outbound student • Give “student packet” of documents to each interested student as he or she exits the auditorium

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. Email message to foreign language department chairperson • Link to letter

14. 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

15. Folder for foreign language department chairs

16. RI RYE Brochure

17. 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

18. 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

19. Successful Recruitingof Outbound Students Conclusion