Header Links

Identify and Recruit

Recruiting learners can be challenging, especially if they have dropped out or given up on the system.

Ahmad’s story helps demonstrate the critical role that effective transition programs play in young adult learners’ lives. This stage outlines the process we have used in the Bridge program to identify and recruit learners.

Identify Program Needs

Reflect on your situation: Are you building a new program or modifying an existing one?
Determine what programs are already available for your target audience.
Bring key stakeholders together to identify gaps in programming.
Find a niche for your program.
Explicitly define the goals of the program.

Identify Target Audience

Define your target audience carefully.
Recognize the literacy needs of your learners.
Think holistically and focus on the needs of the whole learner: academic, social, personal.
Clearly articulate the minimum listening, speaking and literacy levels required for entry into and exit from the program.

Set Program Expectations

Set academic expectations for learner growth.
Clearly communicate program expectations.
Encourage learner independence and risk-taking.
Recognize that realistically learners will need time to achieve academic and college readiness expectations.
Build multiple level increments within the structure of larger program levels to help learners demonstrate progress.