Citizens of the World

 

Why Citizens of the World Came to Us: Citizens of the World Charter Schools challenge students to realize their full potential and thrive in a diverse society by being deliberate about embedding diversity within their schools while providing a rigorous and joyful learning environment. The school network came to us seeking creative ways to highlight their unique model as reporters across the nation expressed interest. One of their main concerns was shoring up support in neighborhoods where they had existing schools, but where their work was not clearly understood. This included in New York City and Los Angeles; and where they were opening new schools, specifically looking to establish a groundswell of support for their new campus in Kansas City.

 

Our Strategy for Citizens of the World: We first helped Citizens of the World hone in on their vision and bring consistency to the way they talked about their model and the success of their schools. By telling their story over time and raising community awareness, enrollment in their schools increased and teacher recruiting efforts improved. This increased visibility helped prepare the organization to expand into Kansas City at the local community’s request. We helped spearhead this effort by capturing the story of a community eager to create a new school system that reflects the full diversity of Midtown, a historically segregated part of Kansas City. Then we elevated Citizens’ voice and the voices of community members who pioneered the effort to establish a high-quality school that would encourage families to stay in Midtown, rather than leave for better schools outside the community. From there, we built momentum with the local news media to highlight Citizens’ vision for Kansas City. To prepare for this exposure, we worked with Citizens by media training their top leaders, developing speeches, talking points and presentations for key stakeholders to take a vision and a concept and help turn it into a thriving public school.

Relay Graduate School of Education

 

Why Relay Came to Us: Relay Graduate School of Education is revolutionizing how aspiring teachers are prepared to be more effective by allowing them to refine their practice with faculty and peers until they’re ready to perform with confidence in the classroom. With a national need for a strong, diverse teacher workforce, Relay’s approach is in demand. As it grew, Relay wanted to take control of its brand, introduce its work to new regions but also more broadly to those within education. Relay knew that its ability to have greater impact in more regions would be directly tied to how strongly its work is understood and how well its external brand is perceived. In short, Relay knew it needed to define itself on its own terms.

 

Our Strategy for Relay: We focused on developing a strategic communications plan designed to help Relay proactively share its work more broadly. The goal was to ensure that Relay is accurately understood and recognized for its work. They needed to develop an ongoing communications cadence that effectively communicated who they are and what they do. We helped support relationships with partners in new regions by introducing Relay in new communities but were also a strategic thought partner in all other aspects of launching a new campus. Together, we have helped grow the positive understanding of Relay’s work.