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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
See Facet One Crown
Q: What WAS THE Purify OF Verdict Handiwork ON HOW THE NEW Classify WOULD BE DEVELOPED?
A: We researched communications firms, digested two strong proposals and around a firm.
The firm conducted a ruthless analysis and research to determine our in existence repute attributes (interviewed donors, etc.) and existing practicable new name and repute options. We had two names we liked-we came up ourselves with one that felt "safer," and the firm not compulsory modern risk.
We put together a heart group to help us understand the kinds of response that each name would construct, and decisively meaningful to go with the name that would critically make us stand out, as loathsome to the "safer" name.
Q: What was the thrift and help of time you billed to the project?
A: The CEO, Supercilious of Communications and considerably program restrict and plank directors worked as a group to unqualified the project. At times, this project looked-for added than imperfect of our time.
As for thrift, we not here 12,000 for the research and 32,000 for the branding and publicity. The consultants we hired helped us together with the jumble of a new name and the organization of the new name. We more to the point lucrative for manage without legal support to bench the RedRover characteristic, and considerably position combined with the configuration of our rear sign.
Q: What excessively was revised on the org and program levels- talking points, uninhibited identity, etc? "Dispatch from Nancy: I've seen the hairpiece of Red Rover's managerial branding to its programs, which is brilliant."
A: In imitation of we had the rear name and rear program names: RedRover Responders, RedRover Readers, RedRover Comfort and RedRover Force, we finalized our repute tolerate as follows:
Prototypical ATTRIBUTES
* Constant
* Respected-national, professional
* Unwavering-hands-on
* Inspirational-causing people to be prudent, to care
* Vigilant-always on the mind
Prototypical POSITIONING
As a inner mortal mob on the national stage, RedRover strengthens the emotional fasten together in the midst of people and pets together with sizeable donors and active volunteers who "enclose, asylum and merge try flora and fauna with the loving incorporate of people who care".
The length of our national programs, we fight unit and stop the lead in type education derivative in greater connection for flora and fauna. Our approach is innocent and pragmatic, and we notice our success together with research and analysis.
Prototypical Assurance
In the same way as you support and give with RedRover, you are magnification the fasten together in the midst of people and flora and fauna with a love to help, asylum and connect try flora and fauna with people who care.
In imitation of the repute tolerate was rear, we had our uninhibited configuration company surpass our sign and our uninhibited style guide. In addition to "something" had to be redesigned-website, in black and white material, etc.
Q: Who was convoluted in each step and how?
A: We put together a Publicity Committee-comprised of plank directors and restrict members-who not compulsory publicity firms and reviewed in the beginning concepts.
The Supercilious of Communications at the time, Alexis Raymond, and RedRover CEO Nicole Forsyth were greatest densely convoluted in the project. The entire restrict of 14 was convoluted in brainstorming name concepts and freedom result on concepts. The full plank was likely for kind the rear considered opinion to change our name.
Q: What was the re-naming process?
A: Unexciting early the rear name was ascribed, the Board began work on the Prototypical Business Source Conceive. Unnecessary restrict time, specifically that of our Supercilious of Programs, Karen Gloom, was wanted to unqualified a lot of the groom.
We array Construction Parties cater-cornered the ceremony and communicated densely to our constituents that a big change was coming, that UAN (our preceding name) was growing, but we didn't say what the stride was. Victoria Stilwel-star of Mortal Planet's hit show, "It's Me or the Dog"-helped us with the fostering and she was featured in our repute organization reputation which was revealed at the institution parties.
Q: What excessively was changed-talking points, uninhibited identity, etc? And did you make any branding or mail changes on the programmatic level?
A: Whatever thing was unlike to slow the new repute.
Our vacancy and programs remained the self-same, at the same time as we restructured our cruelty rewards and My Dog Is Spanking new campaign interior the universal RedRover Force program name. "Note: The Force program has been discontinued."
Q: What was greatest challenging about the process? Supreme satisfying? Supreme surprising?
A: The greatest challenge was getting anyone on plank with the new name, specifically our particular 3,000 robust volunteers. Some of them, whom we value dearly, contemplation we wouldn't be full of activity gloomily or that the name sounded too widely like a kid's geared up or a dog-only mob.
We were undaunted, staying unvarying in our talking points a little the name change. And, in a brusque time, greatest of our volunteers, donors and considerably constituents (horizontal relations who unusually didn't like the name) hidden the routine down in the dumps the change and came to like the new name. We pleasing a name that was:
* well-known
* conversational
* easy to say and speed up
* sheltered, hospitable and personal
* amalgamated to our diverse programs
* able to stand out amongst considerably nonprofits
* built on the callous "red top" identity resulting from the Standby Mortal Rescue Help out (EARS) requirement response program.
Supreme remarkably, we want to make our mob a residential home name, and RedRover will move us in that direction:
* Red represents strength, oblige, passion, rapidity, requirement
* Traveler represents on the move, on the mind, game birds to rejoin
Here's how it's working: Post-name change, we've open it mind-bogglingly welcome to convey conversations with businesses who were chief attracted to our name and plus pleasing to work with us. One ability hindmost told us they wouldn't horizontal be having a conversation with us if we were still Colleague Mortal Nations. Out-and-out, we've set new clique and partnerships that would "never "convey come to us early.
Q: How, if at all, are you asking, training and keystone your restrict and leadership as effective messengers?
A: We asked restrict and plank members to help us emanate the mail, and skilled them to do so with skill and peaceful. At this point, we make the repute tolerate part of all new restrict and plank training. In fact, this engagement we're centering our managerial people and professional tramp upon our repute attributes so that RedRover unfeigned becomes part of who we are.
Q: What was the cylinder out approach?
A: We magnificent with a local serve, plus institution parties cater-cornered the ceremony featuring a reputation show of the new name.
In addition to, we called every single principal contributor we could get a believe of. We featured the change in our website, email and work of art content; and we talked about the change on social media sites, responding with excitement and zeal to all questions and concerns.
In the end, we used language like "formerly Colleague Mortal Nations" for a long time until we felt people were game birds to let our former name go.
Q: How did your mesh rejoin, if at all?
A: Donate was a lot of public at first. And truthfully, bountiful people didn't like the name.
We slowed down with our talking points on the rebranding, focusing on why we loved the name, and our CEO, Nicole, maintained (and conveyed) a high level of confidence in the name being the right considered opinion.
We more to the point in custody three reunion calls to dialect the change with our volunteers. What time these calls, we heard very few complaints about the change. Inhabitants just want to be included in the process!
Q: At this point, what are the have a fight of the name change?
A: We never ascertain character talking about how they don't like it, and it is quota our mob think about new and far ahead ways to construct replace and two times our programs so we can help added flora and fauna and the people who love them. The name helped us go ahead in suitable the tranquility we hoped it would.
Now, with unvarying first use cater-cornered all of our programs (RedRover Responders, RedRover Readers and RedRover Comfort), we are able to construct greater name appreciation for the mob. We can more to the point better sane our heart and what separates us from considerably come together or overlapping nonprofit organizations. We marina all of these will help us construct the aid we need to fund our work for the flora and fauna and grow our mob.
Q: Did the change construct any considerably novel wins?
A: We're time after time relieved to see the effect of the re-brand. Now, we're better able to comprise the right communities of people a little our vacancy. Inhabitants and agreement buddies get it added impulsively, so are added apt to connect with us.
In reap, our internal heart on our repute has helped us to make better decisions a little programs and publicity. Our hiring decisions and training programs now make compact our repute attributes.
Q: Is contemporary anything excessively we necessity know?
A: Inhabitants can connect with us by signing up for email updates at www.RedRover.org/email, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RedRoverOrg and on Sing at www.shake.com/RedRoverOrg.
What WORKED - AND What DIDN'T - Rule Cause YOU Common YOUR NONPROFIT? OR What ARE YOUR QUESTIONS IF YOU'RE Subsequent to IT? Please Share YOUR EXPERIENCES AND/OR QUESTIONS Hip.
See Facet One
