Public Awareness
Defining the Field of Residential Education through Branding and Public Awareness Campaigns
CORE developed a “brand identity” to define residential education and distinguish it as a field from other residential programs. Through this branding, the residential education field can speak with one powerful voice about the benefits of residential education and why it is a valuable community option for at-risk children. The unified message clarifies the principles and practices of residential education, and is being used to dispel misinformation that exists within the child welfare community and make more people aware of residential education’s existence.
A focused outreach effort – including the annual National Residential Education Day – is underway, with the goal of bringing this messaging into an increasingly broader arena. Strategies being implemented include: engaging opinion leaders, creating messaging consistency, reaching out to a broad audience, and enhancing credibility.
Media Exposure
- CORE consistently works to increase visibility and understanding of both the residential education field and of individual programs.
- CORE runs a biweekly media check for relevant articles, and responds.
- CORE invites the media to its events and takes advantage of opportunity for media outreach.
- Through CORE’s efforts, residential education and many CORE members have received positive national and local exposure through features in newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, and television, including the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, ABC Evening News, and National Public Radio.