One of the most successful marketing strategies draws from the do with, rather than to, theory of program development. Creating a planning team of teachers, administrators, corrections staff, students, and service providers within the jail will promote ownership of the program. A multifaceted project like family literacy requires a multifaceted team to make it successful. In all cases, people have to clearly understand what the specific benefits are to them.

Different strategies have to be developed for different buyers or market segments (although it is true that to some degree, buyers may share significant, deeply felt reasons for buying – see box). Developing targeted strategies for different groups may be more work than having one generic strategy but the results will testify to the soundness of the approach. More effective persuasion of the importance of family literacy and more tangible support for the program will result. (For further information on marketing, consult Social Marketing: A “How To” Approach.(13) )

“Within each person lies a bone-deep longing for freedom, self-respect, hope, and the chance to make an important contribution to one’s family, community, and the world. Without healthy outlets for this powerful, natural longing, the desire for freedom turns into lawlessness, and the need for self-respect is expressed in aggression and violence. Without avenues to make important contributions to family, community, and the world, hopelessness translates into dependency, depression, violence, substance abuse and other forms of self-abuse. No government program can help families become self-reliant, contributing members of their communities unless it is built on a recognition of the power of this bone-deep longing for freedom, self-respect, hope, and the chance to make an important contribution.”

Excerpted from Dean, Christiann.
Cornell Empowering Families Project.
Empowerment Skills for Family Workers: A Worker Handbook. (Ithaca, New York: Author 1998)

Staff Development
As described above, marketing must occur both externally and internally. Without external marketing, marshalling outside resources can prove difficult. Without internal marketing, project implementation may be halted. In fact, the enthusiasm of staff can really “make or break” a project such as family literacy. Staff development, therefore, is key to successfully providing family literacy services within a correctional facility.

Family literacy is an unusual project in that it builds on existing services and operates using a strengths-based approach. Because family literacy is really a “project of coordination,” it can be difficult to pinpoint a curriculum for staff development. Staff development can and does occur, however, and on several different levels. Efforts should focus on the key components of family literacy:

  • contextualizing adult education to help parents reach the goals they have for themselves and their families

  • providing parents literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency

  • supporting parents in their roles of primary teacher to their children and full partners in the education of their children

13 Hudson River Center for Program Development, Inc., Social Marketing: A “How To” Approach (Glenmont, NY: Author, 1996)

  

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