Mattering & Belonging

Enjoyed a great branding chat with some fellow Texas educators at the #txeduchat last evening.  Much of the talk centered around the telling of the story and the tools that help us take a driver's seat position in the telling and sharing of that school story.  These are positive first and necessary steps in developing and refining a school brand!

What is a brand?  If I take the things I've learned from Bernadette Jiwa and Marji Sherman (maybe they'll leave me some feedback!!) as well as the direction that Jamie Vollmer would like public education to move and improve in, it would be something like this:

Your school brand is why you matter to families and why they want to belong.      
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It is about the connectedness families feel to the great work that is happening on your campus.  It's about knowing what you're about and chasing after it with everything you have!  All the while seeking every opportunity to engage them in meaningful ways that serve that overall purpose! There has got to be a great visual for that!

It is important important that we tell the story, but it is more important that we tell, share and engage our families a brand story.  The stories we tell and share must be directly connected to the brand that we wish to create and refine!  The next step (to which I not will claim to be an expert (nor the first)) is how we become a part of our families stories?  Is it something organic that comes from our work in developing a brand and brand story?  Are there specific strategies in getting families to share those stories?  Or is it something that comes is displayed simply in their engagement (in whatever form)?  Thoughts?

Happy branding!

B