COVID-19 response: Media relations opportunities
Shift to online programming: May 2020 Community Education programs were quick to adapt classes and activities in an effort to keep learners engaged and supportive of the programs in challenging times, however participation in online classes was low despite current satisfaction in the opportunity. I reached out to my network of local TV reporters to brainstorm safe opportunities for them to produce content for their news stations, while we could re-purpose the video by sharing it with our past participants, social media followers and email subscribers in an effort to increase program registrations. I provided background information regarding how our programs were following current health and safety guidelines and coordinated a filming opportunity with the adult learning program supervisor, a fitness instructor and class participants to facilitate a Zoom TV story/interview with the local cable TV station, to demonstrate the value of community education programs from the safety of home. Purpose We needed to create timely, relevant content to prove to our participants that there was still value in the programs that we offered, even if they couldn’t participate in person due to state stay-at-home orders and health and safety guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health. Outcomes achieved Our team was able to use the video for social media and email marketing to current/past and prospective participants. Despite lower attendance than usual, the program was able to sustain staffing and continue offering online programming through the summer months. View the story from North Metro TV: http://bit.ly/CEDistanceLearning_NorthMetroTV
Safe in-person programming: June 2020 The Adventures Plus child care program was one of the only school district programs providing inperson programming in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. After providing Emergency Child Care for critical and essential workers in the spring, state guidance allowed the child care program to open to any families under strict guidelines to keep children, families and staff members safe and healthy. We utilized our connections with the local TV station and invited them to visit, film and learn about how the program was operating safely. This story enabled us to market our programs to families who were using our program previously, in an effort to generate some revenue during the unprecedented times. View the story from North Metro TV: http://bit.ly/CEDistanceLearning_NorthMetroTV