1. A Regional Campaign to Increase Participation in Adult Learning in the South Lumina Foundation for Education Meeting Indianapolis, IN April 19-20, 2004

2. Southern Regional Education Board The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)  America’s first interstate compact for education  Established in 1948 at the request of state leaders Created to provide services to member states  Develop ways to share resources  Improve every aspect of education  Establish goals for the region (“Challenge to Lead”) Board Chair always a governor  Currently -- Governor Mike Huckabee, Arkansas Background 2

3. Southern Regional Education Board A Regional Campaign to Increase Participation in Adult Learning in the South Addresses two SREB Challenge to Lead Goals:  Adults who are not high school graduates participate in literacy and job-skill training and further education.  The percentage of adults who earn postsecondary degrees or technical certificates exceed national averages 3

4. Southern Regional Education Board Project Approach Target Audiences Adult Learners Recent dropouts age (18-24) Adults age (25-44) seeking 1 st credential Adults seeking advanced coursework or credential, particularly distance learners 4

5. Southern Regional Education Board Adult Learning Campaign (ALC) Project Tracks  Adult Learning Campaign Toolkit  Develop a “how to” toolkit for building a state & local media campaign  Campaign for Ways In Mentor  Launch an Internet campaign to drive students to SREB’s Adult and e-learner portal  Policy Campaign  Address policy issues and barriers that confront adults  Use SREB “connections” to drive the policy effort with state leadership 5

6. Southern Regional Education Board ALC Recent Project Activity  Established Project Team  Hired Associate Director  Launched WaysInMentor website  Initiated Research for Developing State Profiles  Conducted a “Design Lab” Meeting in March, 2004 6

7. Southern Regional Education Board ALC Project Team Core Team Project Director Bruce N. Chaloux, bruce.chaloux@sreb.org Associate Director Angela Y. Birkes, angela.birkes@sreb.org Policy Consultant James R. Mingle, james.mingle@sreb.org Campaign Consultant James Applegate, jim.applegate@mail.state.ky.us Administrative AssistantBen Cheaves, ben.cheaves@sreb.org Other Project Consultants Joan Lord, joan.lord@sreb.org Joe Marks, joe.marks@sreb.org 7

8. Southern Regional Education Board ALC “Design Lab” What was the ALC Design Lab? A planning and design workshop that convened a diverse group of experts to formulate the best strategies to accomplish the project goals. Expertise Represented in the Design Lab: Adult LearningInternet Marketing Adult LiteracyDistance Learning Higher Education Health Care Community-based OrganizationsSocial Marketing 8

9. Southern Regional Education Board Selected Design Lab Results Engaging the ALC Target Audiences 9 Recent Dropouts age (18-24) Publicize message via entertainment and retail industry Utilize co-op model to meet needs of students and employers Adults age (25-44) seeking 1 st credential Provide convenient, flexible system that is educationally relevant Meet important non-educational financial needs (i.e. childcare) Adults seeking advanced coursework or credentials Build campaign approaches by defining the “hook” Market where education is aligned with student needs Tell the story in 1 st person perspective

10. Southern Regional Education Board An Underlying Admonition… “We shouldn’t build the expectations of adults if there is no state capacity to deliver programs and support.”

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12. Southern Regional Education Board Adult Learning Campaign Creating a Useful Toolkit for States  Toolkit will include:  model for state enrollment impact analysis to identify target audiences and set goals  assessment model  model and tools for conducting formative campaign research analysis of target audience message development/channel selection  guidelines/sample RFPS for selection and use of vendors to implement a campaign  sample campaign media material  Identify campaign partners and strategies to enlist and define the nature of their support  Utilize/Assess Toolkit in 2 nd Year Pilots 12

13. Southern Regional Education Board Internet Campaign Driving Adults to Services They Need  Short-term  Build on Ways In Mentor as the “touchpoint” for adults  Initial target on teachers through the SREB “Teacher Center”  Mid-term  Launch Internet Marketing Campaign  Build “alternative” connections to adults (“grassroots”)  Long-term  Utilize Internet Marketing Campaign results in Industry/State Pilot projects  Use Policy Results in campaign efforts to promote needed policy change at the state level (SREB’s primary constituency) Build on SREB being an (the) “honest broker” for on-line learning in the South 13

14. Southern Regional Education Board Policy Campaign Making the Case for Adult Learning  Develop state profiles  Formulate persuasive economic arguments  Engage Key SREB constituents  Define specific state goals for the target audiences  Create new or altered state financial aid programs  Develop “adult friendly” state policies  Governance, Funding, Regulation  Develop state “audit” model 14

15. Southern Regional Education Board Next Steps  Create ALC Advisory Board  Launch ALC Website  Initiate Internet Marketing Campaign  Continue Development of State Profiles  Release 1 st Publication Documenting the Problem and its Urgency  Conduct Research on Financial Assistance for Adult Learners  Establish ALC on key SREB Meeting Agendas 15

16. SREB Adult Learning Campaign Contact Information: Southern Regional Education Board 592 10th Street, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30318-5790 Phone: (404)875-9211 Fax: (404)872-1477 website: www.sreb.org Bruce Chaloux email: bruce.chaloux@sreb.org Phone: (ext. 240)bruce.chaloux@sreb.org Angela Birkes email: angela.birkes@sreb.orgPhone: (ext. 217)angela.birkes@sreb.org 16