Thousands of students across the county are preparing to go back to school Monday.
The San Diego Community College District has been especially aggressive in its marketing to get back adult students this fall.
The district is flooding social media with a $600,000 campaign to get the attention of students ages 25-45 who left school during the COVID-19 shutdown and never came back.
“It’s light-hearted. It plays on San Diego institutions, and we did focus groups and research that shows this is the type of campaign that adult learners like to see," said Jack Beresford, the district's communications director.
There are also a handful of billboards with slogans poking fun at San Diego landmarks and traditions.
One billboard says "San Diego is home to Comic-Con." Comic-Con is crossed out and replaced with the words "affordable education."
On Friday, San Diego City College hosted a car cruising event for younger students just out of high school. Several lowrider cars and a free lunch were included.
Also at City College Friday, campus tours and orientation were held for incoming students accepted into the Promise Program.
A record 1,014 students from marginalized communities have been accepted this fall at the campus.
They will receive free tuition, funding for textbooks, counseling and other support to help in academic success. In turn, they must complete several requirements that include maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA and remaining accountable to mentors.
“I’m a second generation going into college and I know what to expect because my parents explained it to me. But it’s still nerve-racking because it's a new experience," said Maya Gutierrez, 18, who plans to begin her first class on Monday.
The creative marketing campaign seems to be working. Beresford reports an overall 13% increase in enrollment so far at all four of the district's main campuses.
