EDUCATE KANSAS
Staff Recruitment: Be the Teacher They’ll Always Remember
It’s no secret that teacher recruitment is challenging to schools throughout the country—and the state of Kansas chose to collaborate on a statewide effort to support districts across the state.
Educate Kansas is a visionary state organization dedicated to empowering teachers and districts alike. Funded by KSDE Special Education and Title Services (SETS), and administered by Greenbush – The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, Educate Kansas has a vision: ‘to create a brighter future for Kansas by fostering a culture of learning and growth through our dedicated and passionate educators.’
Educate Kansas partnered with CEL Marketing to develop and launch the #Inspired2Teach campaign: a comprehensive marketing initiative that honors teachers, fuels new talent, and sings praises to the expertise of educators all across the Sunflower State.
Data-Driven Process
Our data-driven passion led us to create captivating infographics, unveiling some truly inspiring educational insights. Did you know the average educator positively influences over 3,000 students throughout their career*? And get this – a staggering 87% of respondents regretted not thanking their unforgettable teachers*. Time to change that!
*(Sources: PEW, ING Foundation Survey, National Center for Education Statistics, Kansas Teacher Rentention Initiative).
We launched a website capture form, inviting people to shower their teachers with the appreciation they deserve. Submitted names became stars of our #Inspired2Teach graphics.
But we didn’t stop there. To unearth the hidden gems of potential educators, we designed business cards that people could give to individuals they believed had the qualities to make great teachers. These cards acted as tokens of encouragement, guiding potential educators to explore the rewarding path of teaching.
In our mission to celebrate the outstanding educators already shaping young minds, we crafted both print and digital postcards. These postcards directed educators to the valuable resources on the Educate Kansas website. It was a way to recognize their dedication and hard work while creating a network of support for Kansas teachers.
Phase One: Partnering for Change
Phase one of the #Inspired2Teach campaign saw the creation of print and digital toolkits tailored for district and other state organization partnerships, enabling them to join Educate Kansas in celebrating educators and promoting the teaching profession. Social media toolkits were designed to spread the message far and wide, inspiring an online community of support and appreciation. Moreover, the Educate Kansas website received a facelift to showcase the campaign’s essence.
Newspaper articles highlighted the Wichita area 4-schools pilot partnerships, amplifying the impact and garnering even more support for teachers and teacher recruitment. Future phases of the campaign can continue the celebration of educators and ensure their pivotal roles continue to be honored through more initiatives.
"Educate Kansas is honored to lead the pioneer work in Kansas to elevate the education profession! Our partnership with CEL has launched a truly grass roots effort in unifying Kansas educational influencers toward the shared vision of educator recruitment for our state. The experience has been truly remarkable and we are excited about the momentum this effort has created. We look forward to continued strategic partnerships as it truly takes the work of everyone to move this initiative forward."
~CRIS SEIDEL, Director Educate Kansas
Recruiting for the Future
Taking the message beyond event spaces, our digital ads and billboard campaign became the voice of the entire state. We aimed to ignite a wave of appreciation for educators across Kansas, emphasizing their value in shaping the future of the state. These campaigns not only raised awareness but also encouraged Kansans to express their gratitude for the educators who are making a difference in their communities.
With the #Inspired2Teach campaign, we embarked on a journey to honor educators, inspire new talent, and highlight the pivotal role educators play in shaping the future. Together with Educate Kansas, we created a celebration of education, paving the way for a brighter future for more empowered educators of tomorrow. So here’s to the teachers who tirelessly nurture minds and the learners whose lives they touch. Together with Educate Kansas and their collaborative marketing partners, we’re building a stronger foundation for the Sunflower State.