Campus Philly

Over at the Wall Street Journal (sub required), there's a nice profile on Philadelphia's pioneering effort to attract and retain college students.

"We've come to see students as four- or five-year tourists," says David Thornburgh, president of the Philadelphia-based Alliance for Regional Stewardship, a consulting network...Since 2003, a public-private partnership effort, Campus Philly, has worked to retain a greater share of the area's rich supply of graduates. The organization has developed a three-step program that meshes with college careers. First, along with area schools, Campus Philly works to boost applications and total enrollment, which now exceeds 350,000 students. Next, it tries to build up students' fondness for the area, starting each fall with a festival for students. ... It also reaches out with a booklet of coupons and event listings, several career and internship fairs, and a Web site, www.campusphilly.org¹, featuring articles by students and lists of activities from sporting events to concerts. "...Finally, Campus Philly looks to seal the deal with internships, giving students a taste of what life could be like after graduation. ... Since 2003, the group has established 5,000 internships at 1,500 companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Amtrak, Comcast Corp. and Aflac Inc.