YMCA College Goal SundaySM Integration Findings and Recommendations

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YMCA / College Goal SundaySM Integration
Findings and Recommendations

• Maria Elena Campisteguy, Executive Vice
  President/Principal
• May 11, 2009

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Introduction

• Metropolitan Groups charge evaluate the
  opportunities and challenges of integration from
  a broad range of perspectives.
• Overarching goal
• Serve more youth and families
• Expand to more states and communities
• Find more effective and efficient ways to meet
  program goals

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Agenda

• Methodology
• Overview of core findings
• Preliminary recommendations
• Questions and discussion

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Methodology
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Methodology

• CGS Materials and Website Review
• Joint Integration Taskforce/Orientations
• CGS and YMCA surveys
• Interviews with CGS state coordinators YMCA
  staff
• YMCA Site Visits
• CGS Event Participation
• Discussion groups with parents and youth

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Core Findings
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Findings

• Community Needs
• YMCA and College Access
• College Goal Sunday
• Integration of YMCA and College Goal Sunday

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Community Needs

• Parent involvement in supporting college
  application process is critical
• There are multiple barriers to accessing higher
  education
• Families need varying levels of support
• College completion is a pressing issue

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YMCA and College Access

• YMCAs offer a variety of college-going supports
• There are existing YMCA-College Goal Sunday
  partnerships on which to build
• YMCAs and CGS knowledge of each other is low
  but perception is positive

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College Goal Sunday

• Grassroots structure offers flexibility to
  respond to community needs
• There are several barriers to program
  implementation
• Results and impact are difficult to track
• Promotional strategies are evolving and need to
  be further evaluated

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Integration of YMCA and College Goal Sunday

• There are several challenges to program success
  and long-term sustainability
• YMCA and CGS have many points of alignment for
  programmatic expansion and increased positioning
• Potential challenges exist that could hinder a
  successful partnership

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• Preliminary
• Recommendations

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Create Expert National Taskforce

• Charge taskforce to help design and advise on
  program rollout
• Position taskforce members as spokespeople

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Increase Return on Investment

• Review opportunities to reduce costs and increase
  value to the community

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Enhance Communication Engagement Efforts

• Create a plan and timeline for informing the YMCA
  and College Goal Sunday communities
• Repackage and distribute survey results

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Compile Examples of Effective Practices

• Identify and engage experts as ongoing resources
  of information, promotion and collaboration
• Regularly share effective practices, stories and
  new ideas of what is happening in the field

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Develop a Storytelling Culture for College Goal
Sunday

• Gather stories from participants, volunteers and
  coordinators
• Emphasize these stories in measures and when
  sharing best practices with the field
• Create tools to incorporate storytelling in
  ongoing trainings and informational materials

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Create Tools and Tactics to Support Integration

• Toolkits to both YMCA and College Goal Sunday
  communities should include
• Backgrounders
• Key brand messages
• Effective practices
• Contact lists
• Suggestions for ways to get connected
• Draft a philosophy statement for the program

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Measure Impacts and Qualitative Data

• Create benchmarks that allow for local
  flexibility, consistency and accountability
• Create opportunities to capture other measurement
  information beyond attendance

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Establish Alumni Program

• Develop a tool for event participants to stay in
  touch
• Invite alumni to provide stories, perspectives
  and help
• Create mentoring program to connect college
  students to high school youth and first
  generation college-seekers

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Strengthen College Access Marketing Tools

• Encourage advisory taskforce to gather College
  Goal Sunday community input on effective
  promotions
• Include community partners in an annual
  evaluation of promotional efforts

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Conclusion

• This partnership offers a powerful opportunity to
  expand college access programming within YMCAs
  and to grow the reach and impact of CGS
• Clear, consistent, respectful two-way
  communication is crucial to long-term success

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• Questions and Discussion

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