Category: Benjamin Banneker

Recruiting for Diversity in the District of Columbia at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School

Posted on | by Laureen

Recruiting for Diversity in the District of Columbia at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School

Introduction

I am Sergeant Jermaine Denee Bowens with the District of Columbia National Guard located in the most important city in the Nation. The District of Columbia is the capitol of the United States and is located in the Mid-Atlantic region. The city has a total area of 68.34 square miles (177.0km2); 61.05 square miles (158.1 km2) is land and 7.29 square miles (18.9 km2) (10.67%) is water. The District of Columbia is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. In 2019, The District of Columbia has welcomed more than 25.8 million visitors from various States and countries around the world making it very diverse. It is often characterized as the melting pot city due to its vast amount of cultures, ethnic backgrounds, talents and experiences. In addition to a booming tourism, D.C. is one of the more transient areas in the country. People relocate into The District of Columbia from neighboring cities, Maryland and Virginia, as well as, other states around the world. D.C. also has a rapid and diversified economy. Its proximity to various internship and networking opportunities contribute to an increasing percentage of professionals and students relocating to the area. There are also many benefits to living in The District of Columbia The cultural and entertainment (Edu-tainment) is also another value of The District of Columbia Many of our schools reflect the diversity of The District of Columbia, as well as, their particular neighborhoods and wards. In particular, Northwest D.C. is one of the largest and diverse areas in The District of Columbia. The District of Columbia (D.C.) is divided into four quadrants with the Capitol Building as the center. The dividing streets are North Capitol, East Capitol, South Capitol, and the National Mall. Northwest D.C. is the largest of the four quadrants that make of D.C. It encompasses the areas known as Penn Quarter, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, DuPont Circle, Adams-Morgan, and Columbia Heights, among others. The zip codes include 20001, 20004, 20005, 20036, 20009, 20007, 20010, 2008, and 20016. My target schools, Benjamin Banneker High School and Woodrow Wilson High School, are located in Northwest D.C. As a new recruiter, it is important to understand the structure and dynamic of D.C., as well as, the surrounding metropolitan area. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the diversity of D.C. and how this uniqueness can benefit my recruiting efforts. I will create a recruiting plan to educate my community, local students and educators by administrating School Entry Vehicle, as well as, to generate elite leads. I plan to leverage the uniqueness of the Northwest D.C. community to help with the recruiting mission of creating a diverse workforce for the D.C. National Guard.

Demographics

Area Demographics

According to the 2010 United States Census, The thriving city of D.C. has a population of 710,893 and has dramatically exploded between the years of 2010 to 2019 by 18.14%. It is the 20th most populous city in the United States. The population consist of 337,903 males which is 47.53% of the population and 372,990 females which is 52.47% of the population. In regards to race, the primary ethic group populations is broken down as follows: Whites make up 41.53% of the population, Black/African American 45.20% make up 45.20%, and American Indians/Alaskan Native make up .37%. Asians make up 4.17%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders make up 0.08%. Of this population, the Hispanic/Latino population is 11.74%. The Non- Hispanic/Latino 88.26%. My target audience is 17-35. For the population of 17-24 is 81.21% and 25-35 is 71.27%. The population of of my target age of 17-35 is 34.6%

D.C. is one of the highest educated workforces in the U.S. and is represented in the population of educational attainment. The Consortium of Colleges and Universities which allows for cross registration makes the area very attractive. The population of those with some high school but no diploma is 5.92%. High School Graduates is 17.76%. Some college but no degree is 13.02%. Those holding an Associate degree is 3.02%. Those with a Bachelor’s Degree is 24.00% compared to those with a Master’s Degree of 20.31%. Over 12% of the population hold either a Professional Degree or Doctorate Degree. According to the Bureau of Labor of Statistics, the median household income in D.C. is $70,848. The unemployment rate is rather low at 7.29%. This data is vital to me and ensures the recruiting potential to diversify my recruiting mission will be beneficial.

All School Demographics

Located in Ward 1, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School has a small enrolment rate of 482. Benjamin Banneker Academic High School is a magnet high school and is consider to be one of the best in the region, as well as, the top high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools. According to District of Columbia Public Schools, the curriculum is one of the District’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Program sites and offers Pre-IB, Advanced Placement, and its own summer institute. The school is open to anyone in the District; however, students are required to go through a strenuous entrance procedure and admission test, written essays, interviews at minimum. There are 121 juniors and 104 seniors. The school does not have a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program; however, they have other programs such as Wellness & Fitness and Advisories in Action which I will request to collaboration. I will also request a small office area within the Career Counselors office. If given this opportunity, this will allow me to coach, mentor, as well as, leverage recruiting ownership of this school. In addition, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School is located directly across from Howard University which is my Alma mater and a popular college choice amongst student who attend Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. Their graduation rate is 95%. 82% of students are at least proficient in math and 92% in reading. The average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) composite score is 1110 were as the average American College Testing (ACT) composite score is 24. The Advanced Placement (AP) enrollment is 72%. These tests are comparable to the ASVAB which is a perfect indicator of the students as academic knowledge and how they will perform on our test.

Woodrow Wilson High School is a secondary school and the largest comprehensive public high school in D.C. This school is located in Ward 3 and has a total student body of 1825. There are 385 juniors and 377 seniors. It is one of the most diverse schools and has a minority enrollment of 69%. Their specialized programs include Career and Technical Education, Interscholastic Sports and JROTC. Due to English Language Learners (ELL) programs and other factors, the percent proficient in reading is 52% and the parentage proficient in Math is 22%. The Average Graduation Rate is 90%. The average SAT composite score is 1150 and the average ACT composite score is 27. AP enrolment is 42%. Howard University also seems to be a popular college choice amongst student at Woodrow Wilson High School students.

School Program

Woodrow Wilson High School reflects the diversity of DC and I would like to choose this school to obtain school ownership using a School Entry Vehicles (SEV) program. The SEV of my choice is Career Direction because it will be benefit Woodrow Wilson High School, the schools, as well as, the DC National Guard. Career Direction is a comprehensive career guidance program designed to help high school students with job search tools, educational and career choices post high-school.

Recruiting and Sustainment Plan

My marketing object will include guidance on interacting quarterly with my primary, secondary, and tertiary market. This will assist me in sustaining contact with schools year round and establish presence in my schools. During the First Quarter (October-December), I plan to Benjamin Banneker Academic High School and Woodrow Wilson High School and visit Primary Market. Upon arrival I will request a copy of their school academic and event calendar, request speaking engagements for High School seniors, as well as, meet and greet the school’s guidance counselors. Although I don’t have any colleges assigned to my area, I will reach out to recent High Schools graduates via the school’s Alumni social media pages. These are considered my Secondary Market. Later in the First Quarter, I will visit our local District Veteran Service Office. Prior service is my Tertiary Market.

During the Second Quarter (January-March), I will revisit Benjamin Banneker Academic High School and Woodrow Wilson High School. I will schedule lunch room displays to interact with juniors which are my Primary Market. For my Secondary Market, I will visit my alma mater, Howard University as a team outreach. Later in the First Quarter, I will revisit my Tertiary Market at the District Veteran Service Office.

During the Third Quarter (April-June), I will revisit Benjamin Banneker Academic High School and Woodrow Wilson High School. After confirming with the advisors, I will administer the Career Direction program. After successfully administrating this program, I will follow up with administrating this program with my Secondary Market juniors. I will schedule lunch room displays to interact with juniors which are my Primary Market. Each weekend drill, I will visit and interact with my units to speak to soldiers in IRR or those who have not reenlisted.

During the Fourth Quarter (July-September), I will participate in the District Veteran Service Office Annual Summer Career Fair to reach Prior Service cliental. During the summer, our State administers an Internship program for rising juniors, rising seniors and recent High School seniors. This is a chance for us to learn from our target market, educate them about the guard and hopefully help them consider the D.C. National Guard. Towards the end of the internship, I will reevaluate their interest focusing on the High school graduates.

Recruiter Zone

I love utilizing the Recruiter Zone and School Zone application. These applications are great tracking mechanism tools, where I can set quarterly agendas, collect leads, update my calendar and prospect appointments, formulate my strategies, processing new applicants, maintain accountability with direct supervisor, as well as, a space to keep accurate and up-to-date record pertinent information about my schools. I can also use historically records from previous recruiters assigned to my area. These applications are an important tool for any recruiter looking to achieve success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, some may see recruiting in D.C. as a challenge or exasperating because of the various diversity, cultures, and languages, economics, educational levels; however, I see this as an advantage to diversify D.C. National Guard’s recruiting pool. Due to my understanding of the unique intricacies of D.C.’s demographics I envision a huge potential in recruiting in a metropolitan area such as D.C. These unique features will assist me in reaching my brand, knowing my brand, knowing what to brand and how to brand. In turn this will help me to generate leads, build trust within my community and establish my presence. I look forward to living, serving and working in the diverse Northwest, as well as, my schools D.C. Benjamin Banneker High School and Woodrow Wilson High School.

References

  1. https://dcps.dc.gov/page/our-schools
  2. http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/
  3. https://www.doleta.gov/Youth_services/wioaformula.cfm
  4. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/DC
  5. https://youth.workforcegps.org/resources/2017/08/29/08/48/FactSheet
  6. https://www.greatschools.org/washington-dc/washington/847-BASIS-DC-/
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Washington,_D.C.
  8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.
  9. https://dc.gov/page/data-demographics-and-maps
  10. https://washington.org/press/dc-information/washington-dc-visitor-research
  11. http://www.dchealthmatters.org/demographicdata
  12. https://www.tripsavvy.com/nw-washington-dc-map-and-guide-4056247
  13. https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.dc.htm
  14. https://www.dcschoolreportcard.org/schools/1-0402 https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/district-of-columbia/districts/district-of-columbia-public-schools/wilson-high-school-4649/test-scores
  15. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/district-of-columbia/districts/district-of-columbia-public-schools/wilson-high-school-4649/student-body
  16. http://elschoolprograms.com/arng/programs