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Monday, 16 December 2013

75 Ways To Increase Youth Attendance

75 Ways To Increase Youth Attendance
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75 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUTH ATTENDANCE AT YOUR RECREATION CENTER

1. Early signups

It doesn't matter when - as long as it's early, it's a commitment

2. Announcements

Make announcements about classes and activities during events

3. Exciting activities

Youth love excitement, and want to go where there's activity

4. New activities

It helps to have new and fresh programs every so often

5. E-mail newsletter

Reach members directly through an e-mail newsletter

6. Friendly scheduling

Try to schedule activities with times that are good for the youth and parents

7. Calendars

Calendars that parents and kids can take home make it easy to plan ahead

8. Positivity

Make your recreation center a positive place to go to

9. Safe environment

Kids like to go places where they feel safe, and parents that way also

10. Surveys

Let them give input, and you can plan programs they'll enjoy

11. Flyers

Put flyers out where youth can see and pick them up

12. Signs

Put up signs letting members know about programs

13. Banners

Hang banners that advertise events going on

14. Partnerships with other youth organizations

Combine programs with other groups

15. Discounts for multiple registrations

Give discounts for signing up for more than one activity

16. Parent advisory committee

Have parents give suggestions for kids' programs

17. Newsletters

Put events and stories in a newsletter

18. Events with food and games

Hold large-scale events with food and games for families

19. Build relationships

Building relationships with youth members will make them want to be there

20. Phone calls

Reach members by calling parents and updating them on upcoming activities

21. Word-of-mouth

Talk up activities and events to youth members and families

22. E-mails

Send e-mails letting members know what programs are coming up

23. Snack food

Kids gravitate toward food - include snacks in some activities

24. Rewards

Offer rewards for participation

25. Recruit

Talk directly to youth members and parents and gather for programs

26. Contests

Have contests in certain activities to raise interest (ex. an art contest)

27. Consistency of activities

Having a consistent schedule allows members to form program routines

28. Knock on doors

You can visit neighborhood residents and promote activities

29. Variations on favorite programs

If a program is successful, try adding a variation of it

30. Phone tree

Have parents or volunteers call other parents to tell them about programs

31. Prizes

Give out prizes in activities, to raise interest levels

32. Plan popular activities more often

Schedule popular activities more often for higher turnout

33. Promote programs way ahead of time

By promoting programs early, you can reach more members

34. Talk to parents

Let the parents know what kinds of programs are being held

35. Times that give parents a break (ex. Fri. and Sat. nites)

Event times that give parents time off are often popular

36. Computer games

Many youth enjoy computer games

37. Youth planning committee

Have kids help to plan the activities they will participate in

38. Schedule new programs right after popular ones

With this combination, kids may stay after to try out the new activity

39. Low cost, high value activities

Try budget friendly activities for more families to participate

40. Exciting field trips

Plan exciting field trips, and the kids will sign up in droves

41. Family programs

More family programs means more overall participants

42. Add staff for better ratios

Adding staff members allows you to bring in more youth

43. Add volunteers to expand programs

Recruit volunteers for more and larger programs

44. Afterschool play area with games and sports

Kids gravitate to play areas

45. Mentorship programs

Have teens and adults mentor kids and attract interest

46. Celebrations (ex. pizza parties)

Kids love parties and excuses to celebrate

47. Programs parents require for their kids (ex. Crime Watch meetings)

If parents want to make them go, they'll show up

48. Youth Night

Youth nights are usually very popular and highly attended

49. Camps

Camps are a great way to get large groups together

50. Attendance goals

Setting attendance goals gives you numbers to plan for

51. Allow unsupervised activities between programs

Children like to hang out, play simple games, and do arts and crafts

52. Inclusive activities (ex. kickball and art)

The more inclusive an activity is, the more kids can attend

53. Make activities hands-on

Youth like to participate in more hands-on activities

54. Fun instructors

Have fun instructors, and youth will keep coming back

55. Give youth something to take home

Having something to take home reminds kids of how much fun they had

56. Certificates

Certificates make children feel good about participating

57. "Active" video games

Kids gravitate toward "active" video games

58. Inclusive contests (ex. poetry)

Contests can bring in less involved members

59. Suggestion box

Use members' suggestions for better programming

60. Cross promoting programs

Use lead-ins and cross promotions at the end of activities

61. Promotional Open House

Have an Open House to promote activities, classes, and evnts

62. Program variety

Having various programs brings in youth with different interests

63. Promote programs at events

Have a booth with flyers and promotional materials at events

64. Let youth share and work together

If youth have fun together, they will want to come back and join their friends

65. Know everyone by name

Kids want to be known by staff members

66. Booths at local school events

Run booths at local school events for more recognition

67. Professional employees and volunteers

Youth will feel more comfortable if your staff is professional

68. Extended summer and winter hours

Kids like the indoors during hot and cold weather

69. Adapt programs to youths' interests

If you adapt to kids' interests, they'll keep coming back

70. Allow staff and volunteers to be creative

More creativity leads to more fun and interest

71. Holiday programs

Holiday events usually bring in lots of families

72. Seasonal programs

Seasonal activities can add to your programming regime

73. Keep supplies stocked

Having enough supplies is important to having comprehensive activities

74. Sports events (ex. field games)

Sports events can attract families and lots of kids

75. Schedule programs consecutively instead of concurrently

With proper scheduling, each youth can attend just about every activity


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