Developing a strategic school communication campaign is a great way for organisations to connect with teachers, educators, parents/carers, and students to promote public health initiatives in schools, making a positive impact on the education and well-being of students.
Building strong partnerships between schools and organisations is not only a smart investment for the future, but it’s also a fun and engaging way to get involved with local schools. By collaborating on curriculum-aligned education initiatives, organisations can help equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.
To make sure your partnership is a success, it’s important to start by creating a shared vision and objective. Together, you can outline your goals, roles, responsibilities, and evaluation frameworks. By building strong communication protocols and processes, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and that the partnership is embedded in organisational cultures and educational frameworks for long-term success.
Effective partnerships also require the support of the school community. By involving school leaders, teachers, parents, and students in the process, you can create a culture of excitement and enthusiasm around curriculum-aligned education initiatives. And by maintaining clear communication about student activities and outcomes, you can ensure that everyone feels involved and valued.
What are the challenges of developing a public health school program?
When it comes to organisations wanting to connect with schools, it can be a delicate balance. The Department of Education has strict guidelines in place when it comes to marketing and advertising to children, so it’s important for organisations to approach the matter with an unbranded and insight-led approach. By doing this, organisations can successfully engage with the entire school community, including teachers, parents/carers, and students.
We all know that education is incredibly important, but did you know that the quality of implementation can make a big difference in student outcomes? Implementation means integrating evidence-based practices into real-world settings, but sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned due to adaptation or school system barriers. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure the quality of implementation—with ongoing teacher support, for example—to help students achieve positive outcomes.
3 strategies for creating a strategic school program
Here are the top three strategies that QUAY Communications can deliver to organisations to help create effective school programs for public health education.
1. Grassroots approach
A grassroots approach to a communications strategy involves starting with the individuals and communities at the local level and building support and engagement from the ground up. Rather than relying on traditional top-down methods, a grassroots approach focuses on empowering people to take action and spread the message through their networks.
This approach still requires a well-defined communications strategy which is critical for the success of any organisation attempting to implement a successful public health program. It sets the direction for common efforts, aligns them with the overall objectives of the organisation, and allows the evaluation of the effectiveness of marketing activities.
A strong communications strategy not only improves efficiency, is cost-effective, and builds trust, but also ensures that every interaction a school has with the organisation embodies the same values and benefits. A strategy eliminates the trial-and-error approach, avoids missed opportunities and wrong turns, and prevents ineffective and disappointing results.
If adopting a grassroots approach, QUAY Communications can help with capturing insights to inform a pilot program specific to your business needs and help engage directly with schools. This is an excellent way to test and learn when first embarking on a school program.
Developing and implementing such a strategy can seem daunting, but there are some key steps to follow to enhance productivity, streamline operations and eliminate the need to waste time on pointless marketing tactics. We can help you with these.
2. Sponsorship partnerships
In today’s world, it’s crucial to provide education that nurtures critical and creative thinking to prepare students for the future. A strong sponsorship partnership between schools and organisations can be highly beneficial for all involved, especially when there’s enough budget to take advantage of branding and existing school sponsorship packages. Schools can provide teaching expertise, access to students, and links to the community, while organisations can offer resources to support experiences and access to cutting-edge technology.
These partnerships benefit students by promoting an understanding of the real world of work, inspiring excitement about different topics and areas of study and equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. They also raise awareness of diverse careers and further education opportunities.
For schools, partnerships can enhance curriculum content, provide opportunities for students to access the real world of work, and increase access to resources.
It’s important to note that school-business partnerships come in many forms and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But when schools and organisations work together and realise shared opportunities, both sectors can make unique contributions to the partnership, ultimately improving student engagement, awareness and achievement and increasing Australia’s capabilities for the future.
QUAY Communications can help you facilitate opportunities with the state-based Department of Education and develop a strategy for school initiatives that align with your objectives.
3. Curriculum-linked school resources
Engaging organisations in schools is a great way to bridge the gap between academic work and the real world and can have a positive impact on students’ academic success and their transition into the workforce.
A 2011 report discusses the benefits of school-business relationships, with a focus on how students can benefit in three ways: vocational skills and knowledge, academic or learning outcomes, and health and wellbeing. Work placement is highlighted as a great way for students to gain practical experience in teamwork, enterprise, communication, and problem-solving, and provides better access to training, industry-based expertise, recognised qualifications, knowledge of occupational health and safety issues, and improved employability skills.
The report emphasises that these partnerships contribute significantly to improving vocational outcomes for students and can assist them in transitioning to employment after high school, leading to higher income.
In addition to the benefits for students, school-business partnerships can also provide significant benefits to schools, by leading to increased revenue from business ventures, access to external resources, improved physical infrastructure, software and professional development support, public relations opportunities, and contact with other schools and education professionals.
The partnership can also provide teachers and staff with professional development and training opportunities, as well as exposure to different management and leadership practices, which can help them keep their subject knowledge up to date.
Overall, the collaboration between schools and organisations can deepen school ties with the community, increase social capital and capability, and enrich teachers’ and principals’ leadership skills. The report highlights the importance of these partnerships and how they can positively impact the education system as a whole.
QUAY Communications can project manage the creation of curriculum-linked resources, key learning areas and outcomes, and video content—spanning teacher resources, student worksheets, group activities, online activities and much more.
Developing a successful public health program with schools involves creating strong partnerships between schools and organisations that benefit both parties and improve student learning outcomes. This requires quality implementation, a shared vision, clear expectations, embedded culture, school community support, and adequate resources.
So, if you need help with involving educators, students, and parents/carers through a well-planned public health school program, get in touch with us. We’ll work together to determine the most suitable approach for your organisation
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