DreamCatchers

Tutoring Underserved Youth for a Brighter Future

Developing a Strategy forTutor Recruitment

Isabelle Bolton, Sarah Davis, Sarah Mummah & Amy Wong

 About DreamCatchers

• MISSION: To engage entire communities in the academic success of their underserved youth

• PRIMARY SERVICE: Tutoring

• TARGET POPULATION: Underserved Palo Alto middle and high school students

• LAUNCHED: October 2008

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Initial project proposal was to develop an action plan to improve tutor:

•Recruitment

•Training

•Retention

Focus on Recruitment

New focus on DreamCatchers’

biggest challenge:

Recruitment

Develop Recruitment Plan

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

Competing for Tutors

• Stanford Student Organizations Competing for Stanford Student Tutors• East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring, Closing the Gap, East

Palo Alto Stanford Academy, Ravenswood Reads, Science in Service, Upward Bound/Stanford College Prep

• Local Tutoring Organizations• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, Bayshore Christian

Ministries, Foundation for a College Education, Reading Partners, Building Futures Now, Built to Last Collaborative

• Adult Literacy• Project Read

• Considered but did not include: Paid tutoring companiesNone of these are in Palo Alto and None are Connected with School

Teachers

Preliminary Findings

• What are potential tutors looking for?

• Motivations: Values, Understanding, Career, Social, Esteem, Protective1

• Offerings: Connection, Recognition, Organization, Training

• Tutor Recruitment Strategies• Enlist current volunteers to recruit their friends

• List program with local and national volunteer referral organizations

• Connecting to different nonprofit organizations

• Utilize testimonials for emotional appeal

1. Clary, Snyder & Ridge, 1992

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

Other Nonprofits

• Interviewed with Volunteer Coordinator of Palo Alto Art Center, who advised:

• Web-based approach via key volunteer listings sites is most effective

• Utilize volunteers with relevant and applicable skills

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

A Diverse Sample

Why DreamCatchers?

• Overall dedication to a greater cause (8 of 12)

• Causes Include: helping their community, closing the achievement gap, assisting minorities

• Tutoring one-to-one is a more grassroots approach

• Address a targeted subset of the population for a lasting impression (7 of 12)

• Minorities, Hispanic population, young women, junior-high age range

• General desire for a different volunteer opportunity• Timing was ideal (9 of 12)

• Other less desirable opportunities in area such as adult literacy programs (3 of 12)

Why DreamCatchers?

• It’s manageable• Basic, easily communicable academic skills (7 of 12)

• Time commitment <2 hours per week (6 of 12)

• Strong student-tutor match (8 of 12)

• Measurable or visible returns• Breakthroughs, report cards (6 of 12)

• Classroom resources accessible• Teachers, textbooks (9 of 12)

• “Simply-Organized”• Allows for independence, initiative (8 of 12)

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

Why not volunteer?

• Interviewed community members at local grocery stores

• Interviews indicated that the main reason people don’t volunteer is lack of time:• Full-time jobs

• Exercise

• Hobbies

• Family and friends

• Not enough time to match interests with organization

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

Corporations

• 78 companies in the Bay Area with sales > $1 billion

• Employees at large, local companies are interested in volunteering and many companies encourage employee volunteerism

• At companies with informal cultures, such as Google, many activities are initiated and communicated by employees

• Many companies in Silicon Valley have online volunteer matching services for their employees

Our Approach

Market Research

Community Members

Corporations

Current Tutors

Other Nonprofits

Secondary Research

1. What makes DreamCatchers different?

2. How do we access potential Tutors?

Senior Communitie

s

Questions

Retired People

• Growing population of baby boomers reaching retirement

• Baby boomers tend to be more civically engaged and want to give back to the community

• Older Americans (65+) volunteer more time than any other segment of the population1

• Only 22% of older adults volunteer1

• Research attributes this to lack of opportunities and incentives tailored to this population2

• Research shows there are not enough volunteer opportunities meeting this growing need

1 U.S. Department of Labor, 20022Johnson, Christopher “The Strength of the Infrastructure of Volunteer Agencies and Its Capacity to Absorb ‘Baby Boomer’ Volunteers”. 2003.

Deliverables

Recruitment Strategy

Recruitment Message

Target Population

Deliverables

Recruitment Strategy

Recruitment Message

Target Population

Recruitment Message

• Debunking the myth: there do exist underserved students in Palo Alto community.

• Reach a unique & overlooked underserved population in your community, Palo Alto

• Maximize your impact by helping underserved students who attend an exceptional school district but who just need an extra push from you to thrive in school

• Work in partnership with school district teachers to enable student success

• Make a lasting impact by helping students at the middle school age on whom you can have a significant influence

• Convenient time & location (2hr/week, weekday evenings, Palo Alto High School)

• Join an exciting & growing startup nonprofit; Stanford student-initiated

Testimonials

• Parents’ thoughts on the program:• “He is happy to come here to study with his tutor and he

is more organized the subject…My son said that he explains well. It is easy to understand…We really appreciate your program.”

• “Me gusta que las personas que estan al frente de esta programa hablan español y podemos communicarnos los padres con ustedes.”

• “Me alludado bastante primeramente con nuestra hija porque por el ingles era muy dificil alludarle a nuestra hija.”

• “Les quiero dar las gracias a todos las personas que hasen posible que este programa funcione. Es una gran alluda para nosotros. MUCHAS GRACIAS.”

Deliverables

Recruitment Strategy

Recruitment Message

Target Population

Community Members

Access

Key Message

s

• Engage current tutors in recruiting their friends and leveraging their networks

• For example: American Association of University Women

• This method also increases Tutor buy-in and retention

• Utilize key online websites to post volunteer opportunities

• VolunteerMatch.org

• Idealist.org: Post on Idealist

• Palo Alto Online: Community Resources - Volunteering Opportunities

• UC Berkeley: Career Center

• Nonprofit Job Market.org: Post a Job

• List with local community colleges

• Reach a unique & overlooked underserved population in your own community, Palo Alto

• Convenient, local location within Palo Alto

1. Send customized viral email• Google: Work with current tutor, Vanessa H., and other

Google friends to forward email internally

2. Employ web-based volunteer matching systems • Input information about DreamCatchers into systems:

– Cisco Systems Inc.: Cisco Volunteer Connection

– Intel Corp.: Intel in Your Community

– Oracle Corp.: Oracle Volunteers

– Sun Microsystems Inc.: Volunteer Web Portal

– eBay Inc.: GIVE Team Program

Working Professionals

Access

Key Message

s

• Convenient location and program time after business hours

• Maximize your impact by helping underserved students who attend an exceptional school district but who just need an extra push from you to thrive in school

Retired People

• Leverage Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a national program for those age 55+, to attract retirees

• Supplemental accident and liability insurance

• Transportation reimbursement

• Establish partnerships with local senior living communities

• Channing House, Lytton Gardens, Palo Alto Commons, Classic Hyatt Residences• Great chance for civic engagement

• Opportunity to share lessons and experiences

• People who volunteer strengthen their overall health3

3 University of Michigan (2002), http://www.lsa.umich.edu/psych/news/spotlight/spotlight/?id=27

Access

Key Message

s

Stanford Students

• Utilize networks and connections of current Stanford student Tutors• Stanford School of Education

• Stanford Graduate School of Business

• Send department-wide emails and post fliers• Graduate Student Council

Access

Key Messages

• Teacher-curriculum connection

• Location: close but still off-campus

• Assist a student-initiated and student-run organization

Potential Challenges• Impact on commitment of Tutors who join, as a result of lowering barriers to entry

• Difficulty promptly accommodating all Tutors, due to increased ratio of Tutors to Students

• Increased demand on organization capacity

- Managing influx of new tutors

- Securing additional program location space

• Adapting project to a rapidly evolving startup organization

Unexpected Insights

• Tutor training more relevant for younger tutors

• Connecting Tutors directly with Teacher Curriculum

• Consider differentiating DreamCatchers’ program more acutely than simply a tutoring organization with a few, small differences: shape it into a significantly different approach to helping students

Thank you!

Questions?