CASE STUDY

Project: Aspen Community School

Role: Director of Strategic Communications

Challenge

Aspen Community School was on the brink of being a school without a schoolhouse. While alumni adored their alma mater built in 1974 and students were achieving top marks in the State, the public charter school’s infrastructure was crumbling and its public image was at best confused. Leadership had landed a massive challenge grant to remedy the facilities, but would have to find matching funds of $4.9M in just eight months, or lose their one-shot opportunity.

Solutions

Since the school hadn’t had communications support in a decade, the first order of business was taking control of the story by developing a standout message—“One of Colorado’s highest-performing schools in one of the State’s lowest performing buildings.” This focus was at the center of a comprehensive and urgent communications strategy that included identity, marketing (direct mail, advertising, and collateral), public relations, alumni relations, website, video, crowdfunding, events, and social media.

Results

The story resonated. ACS made history by achieving their match—raising a total of $9.1M—and galvanizing 650+ community donors. In addition to this homerun, the school had many other smaller hits, among them: doubling their social media followers and vaulting the morale of staff and parents.

Services

Strategic Communications
Storytelling
Brand Visioning
Experience Design

Aspen Community School

In its fifth decade, Aspen Community School was on the brink of being a school without a schoolhouse. They had just eight months to meet a challenge grant: raise $4.9M or lose $9.1M on the table.

Imagine Climate

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Just two months before the election, Aspen City Council authorized a ballot measure to lift the cap on funding for arts and culture from the Wheeler Opera House’s real estate transfer tax. The stakes were high, the shot was long, and the timeframe was short.