You know what they say about parent meetings: If you build promote it, they will come. And since hosting a parent meeting is one of the most effective ways to get parental consent to travel and sign students up, you’re going to want to promote your meeting very well. So start with tried-and-true methods—flyers, social media posts, articles in the school newspaper. But why stop there? To really stand out in a sea of homecoming posters and campus announcements, try some of the ideas below. They were curated by our Global Education Ambassadors—experienced Group Leaders who love helping fellow teachers—so they’re guaranteed to help you bring your A game.
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01
Start the party early
The parent meeting is the main event—but why not throw something a week or two beforehand to get the school talking? Set up shop in the cafeteria or main hallway for a couple periods, then add music, food, and decorations that are all related to your tour destination. As students drop by in between classes, make sure they grab tasty treats and flyers with meeting information to share with their parents. (No, the treats won’t make it home. But hopefully the flyers will!)
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02
Go for the big reveal
Let students and fellow teachers know you’re planning an educational tour—but don’t tell them where you’re going just yet. Instead, start dropping clues about a week or two before your parent meeting. Post artwork from your chosen destination(s), ask trivia questions during morning announcements, or share a recipe for a lesser-known local delicacy. Every time a student guesses the correct location, give them a personalized invitation to your parent meeting. As for everyone else? Tell them they’ll have to attend the meeting if they want in on the school’s most anticipated news.
Let students and fellow teachers know you’re planning an educational tour—but don’t tell them where you’re going just yet. Instead, start dropping clues about your location a week or two before your parent meeting.
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03
Do a giveaway
Fact: People are 100% more excited to go to meetings with door prizes.* Add that to the excitement of going to a meeting for something awesome (like changing students’ lives through educational travel), and you have a winning combination! Include a raffle ticket with every invitation, or just let parents know you’ll hand them out at the door. Then, get creative with your prizes. You could give away something travel-related (like portable chargers, passport holders, or travel pillows) or choose something that’s more unique to your school—like a reserved student parking spot.
*Source: EF co-workers who go to lots of meetings with little to no door prizes.
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04
Take your promotion on the road
Know a few students who are extra excited and already have parental consent to travel? Ask them to volunteer their services as walking billboards during passing periods. They can make a DIY sandwich board using cardboard, a hole punch, and shoestring, or they can take a Sharpie or fabric paint to an old plain T-shirt. In big letters, write something like “Ask me about traveling to [destination].” Then, add key information about your parent meeting and ask ambassadors to hand out flyers to anyone who approaches them.
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05
Enhance your invitations
Everyone hands out flyers. To make yours stand out, try adding a QR code that links off to your very own EF-provided RSVP page. Purely into digital? Ask students to give you their parents’ email addresses so you can go straight to the source. Then, ask your Tour Consultant for templates to simplify the process, use resources like Canva to create a fun digital invitation, or include a video from a previous student tour. Most importantly, write (or record!) a heartfelt message about how much you know travel will have an impact on the rest of their children’s lives.
Feeling inspired?
Talk with your Tour Consultant for even more personalized advice around planning your meeting and getting students parental consent to travel.
Topics:
Recruitment
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