Recruitment

Recruiting Students

There are many approaches to getting students involved in the Junior Recess Coach program at your school, but the key is to make it fun, exciting, and full of opportunity for growth.

One of our participating schools presented the program to fifth and sixth grade classes, identifying the program as a great opportunity to develop skills in leadership, mentorship, and creativity through game development. Students were invited to apply, writing a letter of interest and explaining why they would be a good candidate for the position. After selecting qualified applicants, the school leadership team invited the students to interview to become a Junior Recess Coach, and from there, identified the students that would best promote and lead the program to success. This process improved student buy-in and taught students valuable professional skills. The final selected students were excited to offer their support as peer educators and even more excited to develop and play games with their younger peers!

Another participating school began recruitment by identifying students that were struggling with negative behaviors both in the classroom and during their recess times. Physical educators approached the students with an offer to redirect their behaviors by shifting the narrative and offering an avenue for leadership among their peers. Giving the students some control over their behavioral outcomes ultimately led to thriving roles as peer-leaders! 

The importance of both of these approaches is that they are student-centered. By engaging students in the process of developing the Junior Recess Coach program, offering them opportunities for direct involvement, and identifying ways to align with student needs, the program is more likely to find success and maintain feasibility as students continue to drive the program on their own over time. 

Sample Recruitment Materials

How About My Administration and Other Educators?