“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

– St. Teresa of Calcutta

School Vitality and Building Quality Relationships

At Catholic Vitality 360, through our workshops, partnerships and coaching processes, we see each day the direct correlation between school vitality and the power of cultivating and sustaining quality relationships. In building a culture of respect, vibrancy and distinction, your School Vitality is in direct proportion to the QUALITY of your relationships, vision and processes. This immersive culture of ongoing School Vitality starts with the administration and works its way through the faculty and staff into the souls, minds and hearts of our students.

We call this the “INSIDE-OUT PRINCIPLE,” as the internal stakeholders must first embrace and model the operating mindset and systems of School Vitality in order for this to become known to our external audience of parents, parishioners, alumni, grandparents, friends and community.

At its core, School Vitality is largely reliant on your ability to actively and consistently engage people in your mission and dynamic vision.

Enrollment is a Contact Sport

Within the scope of communication, marketing and enrollment, we see the role of Strategic Enrollment Growth as the most important element to sustaining the current state and vibrant future of the school. For without a relentless (daily) focus on sustaining enrollment, the mission and vision is compromised and through corresponding neglect, ceases to exist. To be clear, enrollment is the life-blood and enduring heartbeat of the school.

Everyone’s job is about creating and executing a quality marketing and enrollment system with numerous and diverse touchpoints, contacts and strategies. We truly mean EVERYONE.  

The Admissions and Enrollment Contact Map

Speaking of touchpoints, several years ago, I gathered together a group of seasoned school enrollment professionals and discussed the need to formally and strategically create a process of moving a prospective family from inquiry to registration. As a result of our lively discussion, we created the Admission and Enrollment Contact Map.

Thinking about our three aforementioned systems of Communication, Marketing and Enrollment, every strategy, posts, video, tour, open house, letter, text message, conversation and interaction is designed to properly position your image in the most favorable light in order to attract families to your school’s mission and vision.

With marketing strategy driving interest and action, the Admissions and Contact Map moves the prospective family to inquiry, through admission and registration. Here are the nine (9) stages:

• Stage One: Prospective Family Calls the School, Walks-In or Formally Inquires through website, completes online form, attends open house and/or completes school tour/visit.

• Stage Two: Prospective Family Data is gathered on Family Admissions Form with interests and key information and placed in a shared tracking system accessible by the enrollment team.

• Stage Three: Prospective Family is personally contacted by the Principal and/or member of the enrollment team to discuss the school’s value proposition/offerings, answer any questions and designates the family a 1-2 or 3 for level of interest (1 as highest). May send data relative to questions or interests: tuition schedule, extracurriculars, academic resources, etc.

• Stage Four: Prospective Family formally meets with Principal and Tuition Manager to discuss finances, possible financial aid, calendar, academics, policies, etc.

• Stage Five: Prospective Family information is sent to Enrollment Manager with financial information and shared in updated admissions documents.

• Stage Six: Prospective Family is cultivated and personally contacted to attend shadow days, visit with faculty, spend the day on campus, attend school events, etc.

• Stage Seven: Prospective Family becomes part of a customized communication process that includes online access to videos, virtual tours, testimonials, letters from teachers, alumni and school ambassadors. All strategies are tracked with dates, responses and next steps.

• Step Eight: Prospective Family Moves to Registration and Welcoming Process that celebrates the successful family admissions and enrollment process. School swag items are sent: t-shirts, yard signs and welcome bags with goodies.

• Step Nine: Prospective Family is contacted three times before the first day of school with procedures, handbook, calendar, teacher/class information. etc. Make the first day a BIG DEAL as you now move to family/student retention strategies.

At any time during the above stages, a prospective family can move to registration. The key is to know the family and deploy a series of customized strategies that respond to the known needs and desires of each family. Members of the enrollment team are properly trained and encouraged to meet every week to discuss the status and strategy for each family through registration and retention. A member of the enrollment team is designated as the Person In Charge (PIC) of each family and coordinates all family outreach and strategy.

Engage all faculty and staff in this process as they are prominent, invaluable and mission-critical school ambassadors. Keep it moving, conduct ongoing assessment, make adjustments, be creative and work together as a collaborative team. Invite new families and students to serve as ambassadors and provide ongoing feedback. Listen, respond and implement improvements.

We Can Help

Here at Catholic Vitality 360, it is our ministry to serve your needs. Our mission is your vitality. All of the processes we share in our writings, videos and Zoomcast, THE CIRCLE are available to you. You are not alone in this work and we are happy to help. We consider you and your parish/school a vitality partner with us as we navigate building the Kingdom of God. Our proven approach will provide clarity, a working plan and a proven system that produces impressive results and engages more people in the life of the parish/school.

Engage others, share this dynamic vision, create a collaborative team and build ongoing vitality.

This will take time, patience, persistence, perseverance and PRAYER.

Do not fear, we walk in Faith and this is God’s work.

Be Good and Do Good.