The current state of education is marred by stress, inadequate educator pay, a lack of school staff diversity, low staff retention, difficulty recruiting, and limited resources.
The 2022-23 school year saw a high turnover rate, with 23% of teachers leaving their school, which was higher than pre-pandemic rates. In New York City, this rate was even higher, at 42%.
We discovered that teachers who leave the profession feel overwhelmed by the job and undervalued by the community they serve.
This isn’t helped by the fact that, too often, funds intended for institutions don’t directly reach the dedicated individuals who pour their hearts and souls into their daily work–school staff.
The Schoolys platform was created to address these unique challenges with the following objectives in mind:
Introducing The Schoolys–a multimedia platform created to affirm, honor and protect the protectors. The Schoolys would celebrate and re-energize the staff at Teachers College Community School (TCCS) in order to retain and attract talent. It would also act as a creative call to arms and reminder that businesses can — and should — do more for the communities around them.
The program kicked off with a live event for TCCS’s 50 staff members at the school including teachers, crossing guards, cafeteria and custodial staff. During the event, we provided each staff member with a $3,000 grant to be used for self-care, continuing education, and/or professional development. The grants were announced to the stunned staff by CBS Morning News anchor, Gayle King, during the “surprise and delight” event celebrating them at the end of the school year, where they were also presented with trophies by the graduating class of students, and immortalized on posters and digital billboards across the city thanking them for their service. The event was attended by community decision-makers and local elected officials, who pledged support for the initiative.
Our goal was to create a moment of recognition that would have a lasting impact on the staff at TCCS and set an example for students, parents, and the community at large.
This event also served as the kickoff to a multi-year, multi-pronged school adoption that would include upgrading the school’s curriculum and physical space.
The key to the program and campaign was to consistently surprise and delight the teachers and staff during the day. At every turn, the team created another unexpected element - all chosen to both excite the staff and bring scale and earned media.
The grants themselves were the first surprise - developed and administered in partnership with the principal. The event added another component of surprise with a full celebration featuring a DJ, carnival activities, and special guests from local politicians to national celebrities. One in particular, Gayle King, not only presented the group with the $150,000 check, but also created a segment for CBS This Morning, interviewing staff, the principal, and key team members to discuss the initiative and the vision to set an example for other businesses.
We secured mobile billboard ad space surrounding the school, as well as around Harlem, with messages of thanks for individual staff - taking the appreciation outside the school walls and into the community at large.
The final elements included content on a bespoke website and across newly created The Schoolys social media handles that captured the content and invited supporters, staff and the community to follow the journey as we kick off the multi-year, multi-prong program with the school.
Results from the launch of the Schoolys:
