Does Your District highlight your student athletes on National Signing Day?
Have you given thought about other student groups you could highlight in the same fashion?
In this article, I give three ideas to Create a National Signing Day for other student groups on your campuses, and create marketing buzz for those events.
Lessons from National Signing Day
Today is the day. All across the land, high school athletes are signing their letter of intents to play at colleges and universities. This has become a big deal in the past 10 years, even being televised on the national media. Which makes me think, how else could we incorporate national signing day into School Public Relations and Marketing?
Here Are My Three Ideas to Create a National Signing Day for other Aspects of Education
1. National Kindergarten Signing Day
Why not make entering Kindergarten extra special. On the first day of school, have your district hold a school-wide assembly to welcome all the new kindergarten students to your schools. Make it a big deal just like national signing day.
Decorate the room with balloons. Invite their parents. Make the day special.
Commemorate the moment by having each kindergartner dip their hand in finger paint, and then have the student stamp their hand print on a “I’m Going to be Successful” letter of intent. On the last day of school, write a nice letter on the back of the certificate wishing that student a successful transition to the first grade.
*Make Sure your students can have their picture taken – How to Keep Track of Students That Can’t Have Their Picture Taken
2. Entering Ninth Graders to High School
Just as you did for the kindergartners, do the same for your freshmen, except this time have the students sign a contract to graduate in four years. Have them declare a major and give them a “scholarship” to attend special electives that fit their passions.
By making the first day of high school special, you are forming a relationship with these new students. It shows they care. It shows that they matter.
I would also invite the senior class to attend the event and assign student leader mentors to the freshman. It gives them a familiar face throughout the year to interact with.
3. Post-Secondary Signing Day
Why not take the hype and festivities around National Signing Day for Athletes and apply this to every student who is making the choice to do something special after they graduate?
Are they going to college? A Technical Institute? A Trade School? Getting a Certification? Make their achievements special. Show that their four years of hard work has paid off.
Conclusion
Even though receiving an athletic scholarship for their hard work on the field is special, why not recognize all of your high-achieving students? Make the days special by infusing National Signing Day to other student achievements in your school.
Why not take these special occasions and broadcast them on Facebook Live to heighten the experience?
Blog Article – How to Facebook Live: What Schools Need to Know Now
Do what you can to make the day special.
Do you have any other ideas to incorporate signing day into your district marketing? Let me know in the comments.
