Family event planning ideas

CollegiateParent

What can you do to make the most of admissions events, send offs, orientation or family weekend?

Start communicating in advance of the event.

Use all of your communication resources before the event to help encourage attendance. Do you have email or physical addresses? Send an invitation! Are parents on campus for move-in? Get them excited about Family Weekend now! Send reminders over social media or sponsor a contest for a prize to draw attention.

If your event will be language inclusive, make sure your communication is as well!

Make sure families know that they are invited and intended to attend by highlighting the inclusive programming in any languages you provide. If you're sending out an email and don't know which language someone speaks, perhaps use a bilingual subject line, or send a quick survey to encourage families to make a language preference. Remember, if the subject line is in English, your non-English-speaking families may not make it to the inclusive content inside.

Use the event as an opportunity to get feedback.

The best time to hear what families liked or didn't like about an event, what they wished was covered, etc., is when it is fresh in their minds. Include a link to a survey in materials you hand out at the event, or send a quick email survey directly following the event. Make sure to include a question for parents who did not attend to better understand barriers to attendance. Shortly after the event is also a great time to send out print or digital copies of any information you went over with families during their time on campus.

What do you think? Comment below.

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