Developed a communications strategy draft for the 25,000 community schools by 2025

1. DRAFT
25,000 Community Schools by 2025
Communications Strategy 2018-2019
I. Strategy Overview…………………………………………..……………………....2

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II. Communication Platforms………………………………………...……………….5
III. Messaging……………………………………………………………………….......8
IV. Activities…………………………………………………………………………....9
V. Results…………………………………………………………………...………….14
Section 1. Strategy Overview

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Positioning Statement
The Coalition for Community Schools mobilizes, prepares, and supports leaders to implement community schools
using social media engagement, grassroots canvassing, and national media coverage to recognize the community
schools strategy as an approach to providing all students with top-quality academics, enrichment, health, and
social services, and opportunities to succeed in school and in life The Coalition cultivates leadership, catalyzes
community, and celebrates the victories of youth. We prepare leaders and communities to grow champions and
advocate for equitable policies that grow and expand quality community schools. We join forces with local, state,
and national organizations to help implement community schools in the highest poverty states and lead, organize,
and empower our partners to stand up for supportive policies that sustain youth success through our 2025 25,000
Community Schools Expansion Campaign.
Target Audiences
Community school practitioners, families, youth, non-profit leaders, policymakers, program leaders, and
education and community school leaders.
DesiredActions
1. We want parents, families, youth, community, and education leaders to advocate for community schools
in high poverty states: Alabama, Arizona, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky,
Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and West
Virginia.
2. Policy leaders to use community schools as an equity-focused education reform strategy.
Section II. Communication Platforms
Channels Usedto Currently Accomplishthe CoalitionMissionandGoals
The Coalition currently uses a variety of social media and communication channels to accomplish our mission of
uniting school, community, and family for young people success, this includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and
Instagram. Our email marketing consists of Monthly newsletters, webinar eblast, national and local press release
distribution, policy alerts, and IEL wide messages fromthe president. The Coalition uses Facebook and national
press release marketing services for high-profile campaigns. TV and video channels used to highlight out initiatives
include Youtube, Comcast, and Facebook Live.
Channels ProposedtoAccomplishthe CoalitionMissionandGoals
To accomplish our organization's mission through communication the Coalition must utilize our social media and
most used communication channels to reach out to our audience who range in the age of 25 to 55. The channels
identified most used in our communications survey include our website, Facebook, Newsletter, Twitter,

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Instagram, and LinkedIn. Although our audience relies on these various channels to receive our messaging we
want to introduce new channels to expand our audience in the 18 to 24 age group by launching a Podcast and
Snap Chat channel. The Coalition will also increase our use of Facebook LIVE and YouTube LIVE. According to Pew
research center, 2018 data report Snapchat and Instagram appeal more strongly to a subset of younger social
media users, while other top social platforms, like Facebook and YouTube, appeal to the masses.
CommunicationChannels, Target Audience &Message Frequency
1. Website Articles
• New article once a week (see Section III for messaging topics)
• Target audience includes:
i. Community school practitioners
ii. Education leaders
iii. Community school initiatives
2. Email Marketing
• E-newsletter once every 1-2 weeks
• Periodic email blasts around one key issue
• Target audiences
i. Community school practitioners
ii. Education leaders
iii. Community school initiatives
iv. Policy leaders
3. Facebook
• Multiple updates each week (ideally several per day)
• Periodic promoted posts for excellent resources or important messages
• Target audience
i. Community school practitioners
ii. Families
iii. Youth
iv. Policymakers
v. non-profit leaders
vi. program leaders
vii. education leaders
viiii. community school leaders.
4. Twitter

5. 4
• Multiple tweets each day
• Target audiences:
i. Community school practitioners
ii. Families
iii. Youth
iv. Policymakers
v. non-profit leaders
vi. program leaders
vii. education leaders
viiii. community school leaders.
6. Instagram
• Multiple post each week
• Target audience:
i. Community school practitioners
ii. Families
iii. Youth
iv. non-profit leaders
v. education leaders
vi. community school leaders
7. LinkedIn
• Multiple post each week
•Target audience:
i. Community school practitioners
ii. Policymakers
iii. non-profit leaders
iv. program leaders
v. education leaders
vi. community school leaders
8. YouTube
•New video each month to then share across other platforms
•Target audiences: all
7. Change.org

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•Once every few months, around compelling and strategic issues
•Petition created to target a key decision-maker
•Target audience:
i. Political leaders
ii. Education leaders
iii. Community school leaders
Communication Platforms
Social media vehicles
● Snap Chat
● Facebook
● YouTube
● Instagram
● Twitter
Communication vehicles
● Podcast
● Webinars
● Mobile Marketing
● Videos focusing on community schools impact on youth using the emotional narrative
News media vehicles
● CNN
● VICE
● MSNBC
● TV One
● CBS News
● ABC News
● NBC News
● Black Press Community News Media
● Education Week
● Hechinger Report
● Buzzfeed
● Medium (Blog)
● LinkedIn (Blog)
● USA Today

7. 6
● Education Dive
● Washington Post
● The New York Times
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Section III. Messaging
Cultivate Leadership
We mobilize leaders and communities to grow champions and advocate for equitable policies that grow and
expand quality community schools.
● Standards Success: Leadership
● Standards Success: Student Leaders
● Community School Advocate: Rural
● Community School Advocate: Principle
● Community School Advocate: Coordinator
● Community School Advocate: Student
● Comcast Spotlight Dakari and student engagement

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Catalyze community's
We join forces with local, state, and national organizations to help implement 25,000 community schools by 2025.
● Attendance Rates Rising Chalkbeat NYC
● Comcast Spotlight: United Way National Capital Area (Parent teacher home visits
● Business partnership (TN )
● Homework Diner: Parents Voice
● Homework Diner: Youth Voice
● Special needs partnerships within community Schools: CWD
● Family and Community Engagement within Community Schools: FCE
Celebrate Victories
We lead, organize, and empower partners to stand up for supportive policies that sustain youth success through
our annual campaign March for Children and Youth Month and Coordinators Appreciation Week.
● Community School Coordinator Spotlight: Rachel Thapa
http://coordinators.communityschools.org/profiles/blogs/coordinator-spotlight-rachel-thapa-1
● Partner Spotlight: United Way National Capital Area Recommendation (Attendance and mobility victory)
● Coordinator Spotlight: Gwendolyn Unoko
http://coordinators.communityschools.org/profiles/blogs/coordinator-spotlight-gwendolyn-unoko
● Champion Focus: (Mary Suggestion)
● Partner Spotlight: United Way National Capital Area (Academic Victory)
● Champion Focus: (Mary Suggestion)
● Message from the Director: Jose Munoz on Medium
2018 Activity Plan
Activity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Person
Responsible

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Section VI. Results & Targets (Set targets in different color)
Platform 1/1/18 3/31/18 6/30/18 9/30/18 12/31/18 3/30/18 6/30/18
Social Media

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Facebook Fans 8500 9200
Facebook Reach
Engaged Fans
Twitter Followers
Retweets (last 30 days)
Tweets favorited (last 30
days)
Twitter mentions
Petition signers
Email Marketing
Total subscribers
Average open rate
Average click-through rate
Average unsubscribe rate
Website Traffic
Average monthly unique
visitors
Number of pages per visit
Proportion return visits
Online Goals

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Signed up for email
updates
Became a member
Completed a donation
Submitted a program
application
Ongoing SMARTGoals
● Implement 25,000 community schools by 2025
● Engage 10,000,000 students, families, and communities
SMARTGoals 2018 - 2019
● In October 2019 we’ll see a 50% increase in the number of our webinar/Podcast listeners by increasing our
Facebook advertising budget
● Above +50, net promoter score of participant satisfaction of webinars and website
● One year from now, our landing pages will generate 250 more TA leads by increasing promotion of our
services on Facebook and Eblast outreach
● In October 2019 we’ll arrange 25 positive stories locally and nationally highlighting community school
initiatives, CS policy leaders, and schools who are producing positive academic and attendance mobility
data in connection to their use of the Community Schools Standards
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