Effectively Marketing Your Career Academies to Parents and Students

1
Effectively Marketing Your Career Academies to
Parents and Students

• NGLC Institute
• June 23, 2008

2
What Will We Do Today?

• Discuss some key questions you need to answer
  before marketing career academies to parents and
  students
• Give you some ideas to take back to your
  communities
• Give examples of effectively marketing to parents
  and students from our own experiences

3
Who We Are

• Randall Duckett, President, A3 Creative Group,
  LLC
• Full-service marketing communications firm
  specializing in education communications
• Key clients
• Ford PAS and NGLC
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW)
• Texas Education Agency
• National Action Council for Minorities in
  Engineering (NACME)
• Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)
• National Geographic Society
• Pennsylvania Department of Education/CTE
• Colorado Community College System/CTE

4
Who We Are

• Melissa S. Robery, Asst. Principal for
  Curriculum, Ida S. Baker High School Cape Coral,
  Florida
• Ida S. Baker High School
• - Opened in 2004-2005
• - First Comprehensive (Academy) HS in the
  district (2000 students)
• - Academies in the areas of Building
  Construction, Public Service, Medical,
  Engineering, and Business, Marketing, and IT.
• Grades 10-12
• - Freshman Success Academy Grade 9
• - Most requested school in the entire district
  for the past two years with a waiting list of
  over 200 students in 9th grade alone.

5
Marketing Career Academies to Parents and Students

• You should answer some key questions before you
  begin rolling out your program
• Think in advance about the most effective
  messages and media you can employ
• Start with a wants/needs analysis

6
What Do Students and Parents Want or Need?
7
Parent Wants/Needs?

• Information, information, and information
• Authoritative
• Concise
• Complete
• Compelling
• Credible
• Useful for decision-making
• Detailed
• Local
• Guidance about their childrens education and
  career options
• Testimonials from peers

8
Student Wants/Needs?

• Decision-making information
• Cool (but not cliché)
• Creative
• Accessible (grade-level appropriate)
• Visual
• Credible
• Local
• Caring guidance about their education and career
  options
• Testimonials from peers

9
What Messages Work Best with Students and Parents?
10
Parent Messages?

• Career academies give your children a head start
  on college and career
• Career education prepares your children for both
  college and career
• Every student needs a mix of career prep and
  college prep
• Focuses your children on subjects in which they
  are interested, increasing motivation to learn
• School becomes fun, motivating
• Gives your children a taste of a career without a
  commitment
• College is the most expensive form of career
  exploration
• Places your children in a community of students
  who have chosen to be there
• Career Academies are learning communities
• Career academies are not vocational education

11
Student Messages?

• Career academies give you the chance to focus on
  subjects you like/love
• Makes school fun and interesting
• Puts you in the company of friends who are into
  the same things as you
• Gives you a head start on college and career
• Career academies are not vocational education
• Career academies are cool
• Makes you

12
What Channels Are Most Effective in Reaching
Parents or Students?
13
Parent Channels?

• Brainstorm What will work best to reach parents
  in your community?
• Be specific

14
Student Channels?

• Brainstorm What will work best to reach students
  in your community?
• Be specific

15
What are the Biggest Barriers to Reaching Parents
and Students?
16
Parent Barriers?

• Suspicion
• Including that this will put kids on non-college
  track
• Poor experiences with schools and teachers
• Schools that treat parents as irritants, non
  experts in education
• Language/culture
• Time
• Apathy

17
Student Barriers?

• Attractions and distractions (iPods)
• Time
• Apathy
• Parents who say, No. You are going to college.
• Poor or no career guidance from counselors
• Poor experiences with school, teachers,
  counselors
• Suspicion that this is tracking/for non-college
  kids

18
Who is the Most Important AudienceParents or
Students?
19
Audiences?

• Who is No. 1?
• What other audiences are there?
• Are any more important than parents or students?

20
Next Steps

• Once you have answered these questions, you can
  begin creating a comprehensive communications
  plan
• Plan should consist of projects based on answers
  to the key questions
• May include print or electronic media, events,
  PR, etc.
• You may want to take advantage of the NGLC
  advisory team for assistance with developing and
  launching your program
• We are here to help

21
Thank You!

• Randall Duckett, President, A3 Creative Group
• 437 Country Run Circle, Powell, TN 37849
• 865-405-3785
• Randall_at_A3CreativeGroup.com
• www.A3CreativeGroup.com

• Melissa Robery, Asst Principal for Curriculum
• Ida S. Baker High School
• 3500 Agualinda Blvd.
• Cape Coral, Florida 33914
• 239-458-6690
• Melissasr_at_leeschools.net