Replication Manual Part II. Recruiting and Public Relations

SECTION II: RECRUITING

Recruitment Through Parents
To maintain uniformity between the family based and youth based groups, OAPP[1] has requested that we recruit for both groups through parents. If we recruit parents for the family class and youth for the youth class, it significantly alters the potential groups we work with in the two matched sites.

Identify places where parents and youth can be reached as a primary strategy. Consider the audiences reached by your agencies, schools, other youth serving agencies, and families who have previously participated in your programs or DARE to be You workshops.

Recruiting middle school youth and families takes considerably more time and effort than preschool or elementary families, so plan accordingly.

Recruitment involves multiple staff.
To reach larger numbers of potential participants, all staff members should be hired with recruiting as part of the work expectations and all staff should be involved in developing strategies, and making field contacts. The more people who are actively recruiting, the more successful sites will be in filling their cohorts.

Pre-planning for recruitment.
Preplanning is very important for reaching middle school families and the youth. Getting permission to recruit through schools, agencies and organizations often requires getting approval for fliers, brochures and setting up booths at certain events. This often can be a time-consuming process. Finding out the schedules of youth serving organizations and schools is usually the first step. Contacts with those agencies often need to be made months before recruiting actually starts.
Recruiting should start at least two months in advance of the workshop start up.

A workshop pre-planning tool can be of use during an initial team meeting to outline the workplan for recruitment, see Team Roles for Pre-planning

Sample fliers for both programs can be downloaded here:

Youth Only Program Flyer
Family Program Flyer

We also have Trifold Color Brochures that can be used:

Family Program Brochure
Youth Only Program Brochure


The following attachments are generic masters for newspaper briefs, fliers and a brochure. Please adapt to best suit your situation.

Newspaper briefs.

Workshops offer Fun, Skills, Learning and Incentives for Local Youth.

(Your agency name) has been selected to participate in a new national program that will benefit youth 12-14 years old. “CARE to Wait” focuses on building important skills for youth ages12-14. Activities build self-esteem, self-responsibility and better communication with parents and peers. Youth also learn goal setting decision-making, problem solving and refusal skills, especially around the topics of sexual decision making and abstinence. This is a great chance for youth to become empowered about important life decisions.

Starting in (dates), (your agency) will be offering a series of 11 weekly workshops. Participants will complete confidential surveys which will help to determine program effectiveness. Monetary incentives are given to all participants for completing classes and surveys. This program is offered through the Colorado State University Extension DARE to be You program and funded by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Call now to register or for more information (your name and number).


New Program Offers Fun, Skills, Learning and Incentives for Local Families

(Your agency name) has been selected to participate in a new national program that will benefit families with youth 12-14 years old. CARE to Wait focuses on building family strengths during the difficult transitions that occur in middle school years. Parents and youth participate together in activities that build strong family relationships, positive communication between youth and parents, goal setting, decision-making, problem solving and refusal skills, especially around the area of sexual decision making and abstinence. This is a great chance for parents to talk to their youth about important life decisions.

Starting in (dates), (your agency) will be offering a series of 11 weekly workshops. Participants will complete confidential surveys which will help to determine program effectiveness. Monetary incentives are given to all participants for completing classes and surveys. This program is offered through the Colorado State University Extension DARE to be You program and funded by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Call now to register or for more information (your name and number).

Here is a form to use for recruiting:
Recruiting Form


[1] [1] Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Health and Human Services, funder for CARE to Wait.