Communities In Schools of Central Texas December 5 PR 348 Fall Semester January - August 2015
Kellie Apodaca, Faraz Hemani, & Paige Kroll
Situation.......................3
Video Production Process.........................8
Goals, Objectives, & Target Audience...........6
Logistics........................9
Strategies, Channels, & Messages......................7
Appendix.....................10
meeting & research.............4 SWOT analysis......................5
blog posts.......................11-12
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Situation MISSION Communities In Schools of Central Texas is a dropout prevention program that surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Through campus-based programs and special projects, Communities In Schools creates a network of volunteers, social services, businesses and community resources that work together to break down barriers and help students succeed.
PROBLEM The problem addressed in this strategic plan is to create awareness for the SmartKids program, as well as increase the number of volunteers for this specific program of Communities In Schools.
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Situation Meeting and Interview During a meeting with Suki Steinhauser, the CEO of Communities In Schools, she explained that the nonprofit organization caters to the needs of all kinds of students. There are different programs aimed at various age groups, as well as programs focused on gender. The students come from a variety of backgrounds and each may have different needs. With these programs, an increasing number of students are staying in schools, succeeding in classes and are feeling empowered to do more with their future. During the meeting with Steinhauser, she expressed the need for a video about a specific after-school program, SmartKids. It is a Communities In Schools program in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin. After Through an interview, Steinhauser provided more recent statistics for the 2013-2014 school year. There were 164 after-school participants and 374 case managed students in the SmartKids program. From these students served, 94 percent had improved academics, 92 percent had improved behavior and 75 percent had improved attendance. These were the highest rates since 2011. The call-to-action Steinhauser desired for the video was for more volunteers for the SmartKids program. SmartKids Caseworker Lindsey Knowles said this could be through academic and reading help or outside organizations bringing in art, yoga, dance or other classes. Volunteers only need to come for one and half to three hours for a full academic semester. Together, volunteers and the students will read, complete homework and play games. The caseworkers onsite provide case management services, giving the kids one-on-one attention during the time they are in the program.
Research Our research and information came from our interviews with CEO Suki Steinhauser, SmartKids Caseworkers Lindsey Knowles and Brandis Stockman, and Program Coordinator Cami Warren. We were also provided pamphlets and PowerPoints of specific statistics about SmartKids. We continued our research by exploring their website. We found that Communities In Schools of Central Texas has their own YouTube channel, but it has not been updated with new material in three years. On their website, they showcase the national organization’s videos.
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Communities In Schools showcases their unique strategy and programs on their website.
They have a variety of programs, so many people may not know which programs cater to their needs.
The website displays their impressive statistics for success with the Communities In Schools programs.
Communities In Schools has not had much media attention in the form of news articles and stories on news stations.
There are multiple videos with program participants that leave an emotional impact on audiences. SmartKids has a partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA). They post and update the Facebook page frequently. Their Facebook page has 1,170 likes, which can be reached through a post on the page.
Austin has four universities and colleges with students that may interested in helping. There are many employers in Austin that support volunteerism by providing flex time to their employees. The Housing Authority of the City of Austin is funding new public housing properties. Communities In Schools is mentioned on the Texas Education Agency website as a resource.
SmartKids does not have as many volunteers as needed to provide students one-on-one attention. The target volunteers (college students and adults) may not have enough time in their schedules to commit to SmartKids.
Volunteers are only required to come for one and onehalf to three hours per week, which limits the continuity of service.
With Communities In Schools providing programs at the new public housing, there may not be enough volunteers to meet the needs of the community. There are many other dropout prevention programs offered in the Austin area.
THREATS
OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteers are only required to come for one and onehalf to three hours
There is not a video on their website that shares information about SmartKids.
WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS
Situation
Communities In Schools has limited funding.
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G o a l s , O b j e c t i ve s, & Ta r ge t A u d i e n ce Goals After conducting interviews with several caseworkers from the SmartKids program, our team had a clear idea of the direction our video would take. We chose to focus our efforts on increasing the number of SmartKids volunteers. In order to demonstrate the impact the program has on the caseworker’s and student’s lives, we created an emotional appeal and included informative statistics to highlight the program’s success.
Objectives Increase number of Communities in Schools of Central Texas volunteers by 30 percent. Increase the adult to student ratio to 1:2 in the SmartKids after school program by August 2015 (next academic semester). Reach 3,000 views on YouTube (double the amount of their current most viewed video).
Target Audience Our target audience is adults, aged 18 or older, in the Austin area who are interested in volunteering with children on a weekly basis. More specifically, we want to reach out to parents and college students because these audiences generally value education and enjoy making positive contributions to their community. Additionally, the consistent volunteering schedule and low time commitment would appeal to these groups.
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S t r a t e g i e s , C h a n n e l s, & M e s s a ge s In order to increase awareness for the SmartKids program and recruit more volunteers, our strategy involves making a two-minute video that includes personal interviews with SmartKids caseworkers and the CEO, as well as b-roll of the children in the SmartKids program. The video will then be published on the official Communities In Schools of Central Texas website, shared on their Facebook page and posted on YouTube. This strategy will address the problem of low awareness for SmartKids because the focus of the whole video is on the program. There will be statistics showing the graduation rate of 99 percent for SmartKids participants and interview footage about the success children have in this unique program. The personal stories will create an emotional appeal. The audience can connect and associate these positive and moving feelings with SmartKids. They can also give them proof of the success of the program and the benefits of volunteering. Using images of children in the video will better illustrate the type of students in SmartKids and what volunteers do for the program. At the end of the video, there will be a call-to-action using interview clips from each caseworker for more adults to volunteer. Text will also be displayed with the link to the volunteer page on their website. The main message for this video is that adults should come and volunteer if they can, because it will make a difference in the lives of these deserving kids. A second message that will be sent to the audience is that SmartKids is a unique program with adults who have the time to give and are committed to the success of the children. These messages will be emphasized through interview clips that use words such as, “empowering” and “community of support.” Steinhauser will mention that the staff spends a lot of time with the kids, and Program Coordinator Cami Warren will speak about how teachers don’t have the time to focus on a student’s life outside the classroom. Quotes similar to these will highlight the relationships that the staff builds with the children and it would be great to have more volunteers.
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Video Production P ro ce s s
Our first set-up for filming was in the Communities In Schools office building, where we met with the organization’s CEO Suki Steinhauser. We set up two cameras during this interview to capture different angles and used a wireless microphone to capture audio. Unfortunately, the microphone failed to record some of the audio from the interview due to static noise from the interviewee’s clothing. We learned from this mistake, and made sure to check that the microphone hardware was not covered by clothing in future interviews. Our next meeting included filming on-site at the Meadowbrook housing projects, where Communities In Schools offers the after school SmartKids program. At Meadowbrook we met many of the caseworkers and coordinators who work face-to-face with the students enrolled in the program. We conducted and filmed interviews with the caseworkers, as well as took a few pictures of them interacting with students. This was all done with the permission of the supervisor on-site, to ensure we were not violating the privacy of the children or their families. Certain activities and certain children were not allowed to be filmed due to Communities In Schools’ privacy policies, which is why our video production was somewhat limited during on-site filming. Finally, we went over all the footage and photos collected and combed through to select the best, most relevant footage to our video’s objectives. After selecting a number of video clips, we came up with a basic outline for what our video was going to look like and what footage would be used. We put all this together in iMovie, edited and finalized the video, and published it.
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Lo g i s t i c s The Austin Housing Authority is planning on developing properties to set up new public housing for the first time in over ten years. This new housing will mean Communities In Schools has to expand its facilities and reach to be able to service the new housing projects. Steinhauser discussed that this expansion will give them additional funding, however they need volunteers and workers to run the new facilities. This video could be leveraged when Communities In Schools is seeking workers and volunteers to work with the new public housing facilities being developed in Austin. The way the video would be leveraged is through publishing it to Communities In Schools’ already existing YouTube channel, and to post the video on the Communities In Schools website. These media channels are free, so there is no cost in the placement of the video. We envision that most viewers will watch this video on their computer or mobile device. These viewers will likely be people already browsing Communities In Schools’ YouTube channel or website, and our purpose in leveraging the video will be to inform them about the SmartKids program, and inspire them to take action and volunteer. The video’s effectiveness and reach can be evaluated by looking at how many views the video receives on YouTube, as well as how many page hits the video receives on the organization’s website. User comments on YouTube, blogs, forums, or other websites can lend insight into how people feel or react to the video. This information gives Communities In Schools an idea how many people the video’s message has reached, and how well the message was received.
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Appendix “We’ve been doing it for so long that our staff know the people in the complex. They know their kids. They know their parents. They know who their siblings are. And of course, because they start their day at the schools, they also know who their teachers are. So there is this wonderful adult in their life who really knows the child well and all of the other people they interact with.”
Suki Steinhauser, CEO
“We do homework help here and academic support, which is obviously important but really like to focus on the emotional part: helping build kids’ self-esteem... social skills. All of those things that are really important and will carry over for the rest of their lives.”
Brandis Stockman, Caseworker
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B l o g Po s t A Holistic Approach to Dropout Prevention By Paige Kroll “Last year, 99 percent of students served intensively by Communities In Schools stayed in school.” This impressive percentage shocked me as I researched nonprofits for a video project in my public relations course at The University of Texas at Austin. As I skimmed through the website of this dropout prevention organization, phrases such as, “innovative programs,” “community partnerships” and “support system” sounded important, but did not explain what I would discover to be special about the organization. It wasn’t until we met with CEO of Communities In Schools, Suki Steinhauser, that I saw the impact that this organization has on children and their entire families in the Austin area. Filled with pride, Steinhauser discussed the great lengths Communities In Schools goes to in order to make a change in the lives of children and their families. She emphasized how Communities In Schools differs from other dropout prevention programs because it offers a variety of programs that meet specific needs of a child or parents. SmartKids is a thriving program supporting public housing residents with educational, enrichment and case-by–case needs. The coordinators and volunteers encourage kids to succeed in school while providing a safe, family environment after school. This program is a perfect example of how Communities In Schools strives to serve the “whole child.” At a visit to a public housing complex, one site coordinator
shared an experience that was extraordinary to her. She gave me goose bumps as she talked about a 6-year-old boy that had witnessed domestic abuse his entire life. He was in need of a safe place to learn and develop. SmartKids provided an outlet, but it also gave him much more. These coordinators offered emotional and academic support. They helped him with schoolwork, while also allowing him to gain trust in adults. He finally experienced an environment filled with respect, which he never saw in his own home. Another program helped the mother get a job and English skills she did not previously possess. She was able to get back on her feet and out of the abusive relationship. Communities In Schools changed this family’s life. As the coordinator shared this story, many of the women held back tears in their eyes. This story clearly illustrated why they are passionate about what they do. Their work makes an impact in not only the lives of children, but of the whole family. I learned from these site visits that Communities In Schools offers programs that cater to the needs of the “whole child,” which means that they address academic, social and emotional needs. Fostering a relationship with each child enables all of their students to have a trusted adult in their life and feel supported with every step they take along their life journey. For many of these children, Communities In Schools programs are the only places they feel safe. This nonprofit is doing amazing work in the Austin community, and has made me passionate about sharing their story through our video.
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B l o g Po s t An Organization’s Most Important Resource By Faraz Hemani It was hard to come up with an angle for my public relations techniques class video project. Our group’s task was to film a video promoting Communities In Schools, a local nonprofit organization. Communities In Schools helps students overcome challenges in their personal lives that hinder their development in school. They provide caseworkers who support students in school and at home, helping students with their academic challenges as well as their career goals, family life, and emotional development. It wasn’t until we went to film the video, however, that we found our angle, and discovered what truly makes this organization meaningful. We arrived at a school building where we were introduced to the Communities In Schools caseworkers. When we walked in, they were all laughing and joking with each other, sharing stories about their day like they were all best friends. They all looked upbeat and happy to be there. We interviewed the caseworkers, and asked them what they thought made Communities In Schools a unique organization. Across the board, their answer was that Communities In Schools provides a mentor and figure of support that can change a child’s life by lifting them over the obstacles they face everyday.
Brandis Stockman, one of the caseworkers at Communities In Schools, told us a story about meeting two brothers struggling in school that where also growing up in a household were they frequently witnessed domestic violence. Caseworkers were able to save the children’s mother from the abusive relationship, help her acquire the skills and resources necessary to be self-sufficient, and help the two brothers excel in school. As she finished the story, she was immediately met with the applause of her fellow counselors. “I get tears every time I think about those brothers,” said Lindsey Knowles, another Communities In Schools caseworker. “Its amazing to see how far the whole family has come.” Brandis’ story and her team members’ reactions were by far the best pieces of footage we captured while filming that day. It got me excited both about the organization’s cause and my opportunity to promote it through a video. The passion and efforts of the caseworkers was what helped those two brothers and countless others overcome the obstacles that prevented them from developing as students. We decided that our video was going to focus on the most important resource Communities In Schools provides to students: the passion of the caseworkers who support them.
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