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Strategic Communications PlanJanuary 14, 2011Meghan Adair & Andrew Miller

Table of Contents

Overview Executive Summary Page 2Background History .Page 3 Current Mission Page 4 Organizational Goals .Page 4

Situation Analysis Vision ..Page 4 Suggested Vision .Page 5 Comparable Providers .Page 5 SWOT Analysis ..Page 7 SWOT Actions Page 8Communications Strategy Suggested Mission .Page 8 Strategy .Page 8 Objectives Page 8 Positioning ..Page 9 Target Audiences Page 9 Tactics . Page 10 Tentative Timeline . Page 11

Overview

Executive Summary

Kids on Campus is an organization offering afterschool and summer programs to at-risk students and families throughout Athens County. The organization is committed to providing students with educational, nutritional, and recreational opportunities. Through these opportunities, students are exposed to services and experiences that would not normally be available to them. Kids on Campus is driven by a desire to change the lives of disadvantaged students and give them an opportunity to succeed in life.

Kids on Campus is located in Athens, OH and operates out of Ohio University. The organization is a community partnership involving a wide range of individuals and organizations, including the Trimble, Athens, and Federal Hocking school districts, Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, Learn and Serve America, and many others. Providing services and staffing, Kids on Campus has developed a longstanding reputation throughout the community as a provider of social good. To better serve students and families of Athens County, Kids on Campus is committed to the following goals:

Provide academic support for at-risk and underserved student populations. Offer healthy nutritional options for children living in disadvantaged situations. Supply recreational opportunities to children that encourage healthy living practices.

Recently, Kids on Campus has undergone structural changes that have subsequently refocused the organizations vision and message. To address these changes a strategic communications plan has been created. The plan will promote a consistent public message using community presentations, brochures, press releases, and updated applications to explain the organizational goals, mission, and programs of Kids on Campus to students, families, and administrators. Additionally, the plan will adhere to three primary objectives. These objectives include:

Inform students, families, and administrators about the organizational goals, mission, and programs related to Kids on Campus through presentations, press releases, and brochures. Create a consistent message through uniform language used in all Kids on Campus communication materials. Develop an application that is easy to understand and accessible to the public.

The development and implementation of this strategic communications plan will help develop a consistent public message for Kids on Campus and increases access for the students and families of Athens County. Kids on Campus will be continually known in relevant circles outside Ohio University as a socially and culturally responsive organization that provides at-risk students with opportunities for success.Background

History

Kids on Campus began in 1996 as a summer program designed to feed, teach, stimulate, and entertain marginalized and/or underserved children of Athens County.As Kids on Campus grew, the organization received the Patricia Wright-Stover endowment and was presented with the USDAs National Sunshine Award for the most innovative summer food program serving special populations. Despite this growing popularity, the organization faced significant funding cuts in 2001. These cuts resulted in a discontinuation of after school services and a significant reduction in summer service duration.

The following year, a grant from Lego injected new life into Kids on Campus. Legos summer robotics program, offered students an opportunity to build, create, and imagine complex systems using simple technological tools. Though Kids on Campus typically offered free enrollment for participants, the organization was forced to charge fees on a sliding scale due to budgetary losses. Luckily, the organization saved some summer costs when the Kroger Company of Athens donated all the breakfast and snack food for that summer. In 2003 Alexander Local School District received a $300,000 grant to fund the after school program as a part of a 3.6 million 21st century grant. While Kids on Campus continued to face budget cuts, JPMorgan Chase donated an unexpected $90,000 to the program in 2006and Kids on Campus expanded to The Plains Elementary in 2008.

During the summer of 2010, Kids on Campus student participants completed Fun And Service Together. This program, geared for 6th-9th grade students, required each participant to complete 100 hours of service. Once the hours had been earned, a $500 credit was awarded to the participants higher education goal. Participants from low-income, rural Appalachian communities directed their service toward wildlife habitats, archeological and historic sites, and parks and recreation facilities. The program emphasized teamwork, leadership, critical thinking skills, and community involvement.

Though the 1st-6th grade program did not meet on campus in the summer of 2010, the program continued on the elementary campus, a more familiar and comfortable environment for the participants. The Be Bold program helped students acquire the knowledge and motivation needed to make positive decisions about healthy eating habits and physical activity. Additionally, students took field trips on Fridays and worked with community members, agencies, and others providing educational programming for children.

Kids on Campus has faced many challenges over its brief life. However, the organization continues to offer educational, nutritional, and recreational opportunities to participants. The organization brings together educational institutions, businesses, agencies, and community members to aid in the governance, implementation, and evaluation of the Kids on Campus programs. Recently Kids on Campus partnered with College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University. This partnership has helped both organizations better serve the marginalized and/or underserved children and families of Athens County.

Current Mission

Kids on Campus is a rural partnership that empowers underserved, at-risk children and their families in the realization of their full potential through educational, nutritional and recreational opportunities.

Guiding the organization are the beliefs that every child has the potential to succeed, education is the key to the future, and a supportive home and community environment is essential to achieving educational and social potential. Kids on Campus 2010

Organizational Goals

To better serve students and families, Kids on Campus will: Provide academic support for at-risk and underserved student populations. Offer healthy nutritional options for children living in disadvantaged situations. Supply recreational opportunities to children that encourage healthy living practices.

Situation Analysis

Vision

To help craft a common vision for Kids on Campus, the advisory board held a visioning session on October 13, 2010. Dr. Judith Millesen of Ohio University spoke with the board and conducted a brainstorming session to generate directional goals for Kids on Campus. Randy Leite, the Interim Dean for the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University, was present during this session and offered a series of suggestions. His suggestions we discussed and integrated into the vision of Kids on Campus. The results of the visioning session established key visions for the future of Kids on Campus.

Family Level InteractionsKids on Campus will expand its outreach to families. Family involvement and parent helpers will provide a supportive network for students attending programs. Additionally, Kid on Campus administrators will seek out families for their opinions and assistance in developing the organization.

Outreach to VolunteersKids on Campus students will interact with a variety of volunteers. Elderly citizens will be approached to work on projects and share in recreational activities. Students will benefit from these interactions as they will learn from the diverse volunteers of Athens County.

Localized Programs Kids on Campus will strive to become a greater a part of the community and not just a division of Ohio University. Kids on Campus will use local schools to house summer and after school programs in order to increase community involvement and boost participation. Localized programs will bring in more students as parents are more familiar with their local schools. Also, transportation to local schools may be easier for parents to accommodate.

Healthy LifestylesAthens community members are taking part in a grassroots effort to control of their health through a new initiative called Live Healthy Appalachia. Kids on Campus will honor the mission of Live Healthy Appalachia and improve the health and well-being of individuals and organizations in the Appalachian region.

Suggested Vision

By providing localized programs that encourage family level interactions, healthy living styles, and outreach to the community; Kids on Campus helps at-risk children and their families realize their full potential through educational, nutritional and recreational opportunities.

Comparable Providers

Kids on Campus is a learning environment focused on active participation and academic collaboration. Though this service once operated with a sliding payment scale, Kids on Campus has historically provided area students with a free service. In Athens County there have been few organizations offering a free educational experience like Kids on Campus. While the breadth and scope of the summer services provided by Kids on Campus is unmatched by local providers, some programs draw much need grant dollars away from Kids on Campus.

With exception to the Paper Circle Group, no other providers in Athens County offer a completely free summer programs to area students. Payment required summer camps and programs for elementary students are abundant in Athens County and include: West Elementarys Science Camp, Raccoon Creeks Summer Camp, and The Dairy Barns Summer Art Camp. For secondary students, Athens Middle and High schools offer summer classes, but do not provide students with the same nutritional or recreational opportunities as provided by Kids on Campus.

After school opportunities for area students are limited within Athens County. Kids on Campus is the only provider of free on-site after school programming for elementary and secondary students. The Athens County Public Library does provide a free after school program at its few branches. However, the program does not begin immediately after school and does not reach across to all libraries. Paper CircleNelsonville, OHPaper Circles Circle Round the Square program began in the summer of 2005 in response to the lack of art education for students in the Nelsonville York City School District. The summer program provides area students with hands-on experiences designed to introduce them to a wide range of arts activities. In 2008 Paper Circle added enrichment activities to address nutrition and recreation of students. Proving to be a success, the program has grown each year in participation and programming. In 2010 Paper Circle worked as full partners with the Nelsonville York City School District in providing a free six week, all day summer program titled Summer Circle. The goal of this program remains to help children develop creative skills, improve their self-esteem, and foster friendships and group interaction through the creative process of making art. The program is based on four principles: learn, create, accomplish, and be recognized. Retrieved from http://www.papercircle.orgRaccoon CreekAthens, OH

Since the inception of a watershed project in Raccoon Creek, education has been a main focus. Over the past decade educational programs have been developed bywatershed staff andpartnersto engage and educate watershed residents, students, recreational users, and local and regional organizations. Watershed education and outreach efforts are critical to make and keep water quality improvements. Many opportunities exist for working with the Raccoon Creek Partnership to do class presentations, field trips, monitoring days, and science fair projects for k-12 students. Topics covered often include: acid mine drainage formation and treatment, understanding watersheds and water quality,and the aquaticlife of Raccoon Creek. Retrieved from http://www.raccooncreek.org

The Dairy Barn Arts CenterAthens, OH

The Dairy Barn offers educational outreach programs to the community year round for individuals of all ages and abilities. These programs include: Artists in Schools, classes and workshops, gallery tours, and the summer art camp. The summer art program has been in operation since 1996 that has evolved into a quality visual arts program.Campers learn painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, hand-building and wheel-throwing ceramics, papermaking, mask-making, fabric dyeing, beading, and design.Additionally, the program offers diverse components of integrated disciplines throughout the theme weeks. Art history is included in the program and raises student awareness of art from other cultures using a bilingual approach. The Dairy Barns programs teach environmentally friendly practices and expose students to integrated subjects that couple science and art. Retrieved from http://www.dairybarn.org

SWOT AnalysisKids on Campus must operate under a variety of different environments. Internal and external environmental forces steer the organization and influence its objective course. Internal environmental factors showcase the organizations strengths and weaknesses, while external factors expose opportunities and threats. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats) analysis provides an overview of the organizational dynamics of Kids on Campus. These dynamics include: Assets, prospects, flaws, potential threats, and controllable or uncontrollable externalities. Below are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats which influence Kids on Campus.

StrengthsWeaknesses

- Community involvement through advisory board. -Positive community values and goals.-Easily accessible website. -Longstanding reputation.-Grant-writing experience.-Supportive leadership from College of Health Sciences and Professions.-Free services to at-risk children. -Strong Community Support Network.-Existing staff is motivated and inspired.

-Inconsistency of funding. -Limited outreach of program. -Absence of organizational slogan.-Limited transportation capacity.-Inconsistent message to the public.-Clarity of organizational vision.-Inconsistent perceptions of advisory board members.

OpportunitiesThreats

- Large volunteer network.-New funding possibilities.-New program sites. -Voinovich School collaboration. -Supportive University partners.-Increased community support.-Greater exposure and collaboration offered by Advisory Board. -Loss of grant funding.-Budget cuts at University level.-Decreased enrollment of students.-Inconsistency of public perception.-Program discontinuation due to decreased funding capacity.-Limited duration due to decreased funding capacity.

Kids on Campus falls into a unique niche. Providing educational, nutritional, and recreational services to students throughout Athens County, Kids on Campus strives to improve the lives of at-risk students and their families. Diverging from the comparable providers, Kids on Campus offers preferential enrollment to students and families experiencing financial hardships. Despite the many positive attributes of the organization, in order to address the weakness and threats outlined in the SWOT analysis, Kids on Campus must take the following actions

SWOT Actions

Action 1: Kids on Campus must create a consistent message through uniform language (e.g. vision, mission, brochures, press releases, etc).Action 2: Kids on Campus must clarify their intent and organizational goals to the public and community stakeholders.Action 3: Kids on Campus must expand their outreach by providing improved access and understanding of application process.

Communications Strategy

Suggested Mission

In order to develop a concise communications strategy for Kids on Campus, a proper mission statement must first be established. Pervious mission statements for the organization have been vague and lengthy. The mission statement should delineate what the organization will do, who it will do it for, and how it will achieve program objectives. The statement should be clear and concise as it is often the only element people will read about the organization. A suggested mission statement update for Kids on Campus is represented below. This statement will be used throughout the communications strategy and assist in shaping the overall plan.

Through a rural partnership empowering underserved, at-risk children and their families, Kids on Campus provides educational, nutritional, and recreational opportunities to help students succeed in school and in life.

Strategy

Promote a consistent public message using community presentations, brochures, press releases, and updated applications to explain the organizational goals, mission, and programs of Kids on Campus to students, families, and administrators.

Objectives

1) Inform students, families, and administrators about the organizational goals, mission, and programs related to Kids on Campus through presentations, press releases, and brochures.2) Create a consistent message through uniform language used in all Kids on Campus communication materials.3) Develop an application that is easy to understand and accessible to the public.

Positioning

Kids on Campus will be regarded by target audiences as the principle K-12 provider of summer and after school programs in Athens County. Families and community stakeholders will identify Kids on Campus as a safe venue offering kids educational, nutritional, and recreational opportunities. Administrators and teachers will recognize increased access for students in underserved communities through simplified application processes. Kids on Campus will be known in relevant circles outside Ohio University as a socially and culturally responsive organization that provides at-risk students with opportunities for success.

Target Audiences

Audience A: At-Risk Students and FamiliesDemographicsPsychographics

Families with children attending a participating public school in Athens County. Marginalized and underserved students and families. Families experiencing financial stress.

Families who want healthy food choices for their children. Disadvantaged families who want their children to succeed where they may not have. Students who are interested in fun afterschool and summer programs.

Audience B: Principals and AdministratorsDemographicsPsychographics

Principals of disadvantaged school districts. Administrators involved in developing afterschool and summer programs. Principals and administrators that employ teachers living in rural Appalachia.

Principles wanting to provide students with healthy summer options. Administrators striving to improve the lives of students and families in Appalachia. Principals and administrators who were raised in of Athens County. Principals and administrators who have children in the public school system.

Audience C: StakeholdersDemographicsPsychographics

Current and former residents of Athens County. Business owners in Athens County. Educators in Athens County. Non-profits of Southern Ohio and rural Appalachia. Government officials.

People who want to better the lives of children like them. People looking to make a difference from the most basic level. People who have a desire and the capabilities to improve Southeast Ohio. Those whose careers depend on the success of children in rural Appalachia.

TacticsTo fulfill the positioning statement and serve the target audiences, Kids on Campus must develop tactics that carry out the communications strategy and objectives. Each tactic relates to a communications objective and demonstrates how it will benefit the organization. Specific details and examples for each tactic can be found in the rationale section of the grid below.

TacticRationale

1) Road Show Presentations Developing a series of presentation for the organization, the Road Show will inform students, families, and administrators about the organizational goals, mission, and programs related to Kids on Campus. The Road Show will develop a consistent message while containing three content models addressing the objectives of each target audience. The presentations will encourage greater participation and donations to Kids on Campus.

2) Handouts/Brochures

Producing and distributing informational brochures will inform target audiences of the organizational goals, mission, and programs related to Kids on Campus. The brochures will encourage greater participation and direct students and families to the enrollment applications. Additionally, the brochure will contain information relating to the Kid on Campus Road Show dates and presentations.

3) Updated ApplicationUpdating the Kids on Campus application will offer students and families an easier, more accessible way to enroll in the afterschool and summer programs. The update will include: Reformatting, language revisions, table-tents, and video assistance.

4) AdvertisementsAdvertisements for Kids on Campus will promote the summer programs and Road Show presentation dates. Press releases, flyers, table-tents, and word-of-mouth will highlight the updated application procedure and the summer programs offered.

5) Branding GuidelinesThrough the use of an agreed upon phases, fonts, and color choices, the Kids on Campus staff and advisory board will be able to create documents using uniform language and styling. Branding guidelines will promote a consistent message and image for the organization.

Tentative TimelineMonthEvents

January13 Meet with Kids on Campus Director.14 Complete Gantt Chart.14 Complete Strategic Communications Plan.14 Complete SMART goals.18 Present Strategic Communications Plan to Kids on Campus staff.19 Begin developing Kids on Campus Road Show PowerPoint presentations for administrators, students, and parents.19 Kids on Campus Advisory Board meeting.

February1 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.2 Begin developing Kids on Campus handout/brochure for parents.9 Collaboration with COAD: Workshop with Dr. Paul Young.14 Begin revisions of Kids on Campus summer application.15 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.16 Complete Kids on Campus handout/brochure.21 Begin Friends of Kids on Campus PowerPoint presentation for the Friends of Kids on Campus reception.25 Complete all PowerPoint presentations.28 Begin initial advertisements for Kids on Campus summer program.

March1 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.2 Friends of Kids on Campus reception.7 Complete revisions of Kids on Campus summer application15 Complete initial advertisements.15 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.31 Meet with Kids on Campus Director.

April4 Begin script development for Road Show presentations.5 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.11 Begin final Kids on Campus summer advertisements.19 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.29 Complete final Kids on Campus summer advertisements.TBD Conduct Road Show for administrators, students, and parents.

May3 Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff to discuss successes and failures of Road Show series.

JuneTBD Progress briefing with Kids on Campus staff.3 Capstone presentation for MPA students.