Two months from this week we will be welcoming the 2013 cohort to SLP sites around the city!

 

Non-profit partners and Boston Public School staff have been working to keep selected SLP students engaged since the lottery results came in. This week’s spotlight is on the work of Courageous Sailing and their partnering BPS schools who have implemented unique, and well thought out strategies for student engagement. This week, Courageous Sailing hosted two “Family Orientation Nights” at BPS schools in Charlestown and Roslindale.

 

The Family Orientation Night included dinner, activities for students, a slideshow of last year’s program and goodie bags. Along with a t-shirt and bumper sticker, the goodie bags included important program information, such as the attendance policy, list of items to bring to site and a list of important phone numbers.

 

During the orientation, books from last year’s SLP program were on display so selected students could see what they would create this summer.  Students also participated in an activity where they created anemometers.  In addition, Courageous Sailing invited families from last year’s SLP program to share their stories with this year’s cohort.

 

Below is the agenda for the Family Orientation Night:

5:00pm – Slide show of last year’s program
5:15pm – Families begin to arrive
5:30pm – Goodie bags distributed
5:40pm – Opening Remarks (non-profit lead and recruitment coordinator)
5:45pm – SLP video
6:00pm – Dinner & Meet and Greet
6:30pm – Wrap Up

 

More retention best practices can be found in your Retention Binders, or online here. In addition, all brainstormed retention ideas were posted on the SLP National Study website on April 22nd (click here to view the post).

 

Original publish date: May 10, 2013