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Step 2: Recruit youth participants and adult advisors
Step 2: Recruit youth participants and adult advisors
After review the outline of your program, the next step is recruitment. The best recruitment methods are those that are multimodal and multidirectional - in other words, that recruit participants using direct and indirect methods in a variety of formats. Some suggestions for recruitment are below. You can also find additional resources here.
Keep in mind: Some of the best advocates of existing programs are the current members, so consider how they can help in each of the recruitment methods you use.
Direct Recruitment Methods
Direct Recruitment Methods
Direct recruitment is any recruitment of a specific individual or group. It typically consists of individualized communications that build on existing relationships between the recruiter and the recruitee. Some examples of direct recruitment include:
Physical methods
A letter or note written to a specific person
Verbal methods
A verbal invitation to a specific person to apply
Intention encouragement via word of mouth
Electronic methods
An email with a customized message sent to a specific person
Indirect Recruitment Methods
Indirect Recruitment Methods
Indirect recruitment is any effort to reach potential participants not targeted at a specific individual or group and which reaches a wide audience. Some examples of indirect recruitment include:
Physical methods
A newsletter or article or ad in a newspaper
Postcards, fliers, and posters
Verbal methods
A presentation to a group (e.g. visiting a classroom or presenting at a club meeting)
Hosting an open house or informational meeting for those interested to learn more.
Electronic methods
Email blast to a listserv
Social media posts
As you develop your recruitment strategies, be mindful of the current communication practices and needs of your local program. For example, it might not be financially feasible to send postcards to all eligible youth in your local program, or you may be working with a significant population that does not have internet access. Recruitment is also a crucial point to assess the level of access that diverse audiences have to your program.
The above strategies can also be applied to recruiting adult advisors. As a reminder, Adult Advisors must be screened Minnesota 4-H volunteers, so any adults that you recruit will have to go through the volunteer screening process if they are not already a current volunteer. Additional information can be found in the Adult Advisor Role Description on the Key Program Resources page.
The program should reflect the demographics of the established geographic area (i.e. county, tribal community, multi-county), so recruitment efforts should strive to engage under-represented youth and adult advisors. A flier for recruitment can be found on the Key Program Resources page.
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