Drop-In Day for Dropouts 2009

MEMORANDUM

To: Adult School Directors/Principals

From: California State Consortium for Adult Education (CSCAE)

Subj: Drop-In Day, January 15, 2009

At a time when many adult schools are finding it difficult to reach CAP, Drop-in Day is an effective promotion to attract new students and promote the value of adult schools within the community.

Drop-In Day is scheduled for January 15, 2009. As many adult educators know, this day represents an excellent opportunity to bring adults back to the classroom and get good publicity at the same time.

If your school chooses to participate in Drop-In Day, we recommend you have counselors and/or teachers on hand throughout the day and evening to provide virtually immediate counseling to adults who "drop in."

For maximum coverage we recommend directors and principals immediately designate a staff person to contact local media concerning Drop-in Day activities.

Here is the list of files you can download and adapt for your local use:

Fact Sheet

If you or members of your staff will be interviewed on radio/TV news or talk shows this sheet is a good backgrounder to provide the interviewer before the interview. You may also wish to include this with your press releases and/or PSAs.

Generic News Release

Please adapt this for your local use. Send it to media in your local area for receipt on January 5 and perhaps a follow-up release for receipt no later than January 12. Be sure to follow these releases with phone calls and/or emails. When contacting radio/TV stations, have possible interview subjects in mind, including dropouts who have successfully returned, as well as teachers and diploma program administrators.

Generic Public Service Announcements and Cover Letter

Adapt these for local use and send to radio, cable and TV stations in your service area.

Electronic Promotion of Drop-In Day

Be sure to use your school's website and any email lists of current, past, and prospective students to promote this event.

Drop-In Day Checklist

When to mail PSAs and news releases plus tips and suggestions for getting the most out of this year's event.